Phoenix Refuge
by Message from the Marigolds
Summary: Phoenix Refuge is a young guild striving to make a name for itself. Unknown to its members, however, it is at the epicenter of a cruel and ancient game where the stakes are life and death. With every mission, they uncover more of the truth, but can they put the pieces together in time to make a difference? The new Cycle has begun, and the next Phoenix is on the rise.
1. The Bet

**Summary: In the year x800, ****Phoenix Refuge is a young guild striving to make a name for itself among the greats. Unknown to its members, however, it is at the epicenter of a cruel and ancient game where the stakes are life and death. What's more, an assassin lurks among them, targetting one of their members. **

**With every mission, they uncover more of the truth, but can they put the pieces together in time to make a difference? The new Cycle has begun, and the next Phoenix is on the rise. **

* * *

_I__n the fever of a world in flames_

_In the season of the hurricanes_

_The flood will get you if the fire don't_

_Any way the wind blows_

_~ Any Way The Wind Blows - Anais Mitchell ~_

* * *

_Prologue Part One: The Bet_

* * *

High above the world, where rain and wind and clouds can't reach, floats a castle forgotten by man. It has no windows and no doors, and it's walls are built from a metal no longer forged. Vines climb every inch and sprout sweet-smelling flowers that poison all who drink their nectar. Circling the base is a flowing moat of ever-changing liquid; gold to silver, water to blood, mercury to lava.

How long had it been since their castle left the ground for the sky? Had an eon yet gone by? He'd stopped keeping track after the fourth millennium or so. It was difficult to monitor the passing days and weeks and months and years when life inside the castle was static, and there was no need to mark time's passing when for them it would never end.

Soon another thousand years will have come to pass, though. He can feel it creeping closer as his spell begins to fade.

"It's almost time, my love," he says, his voice like a storm. "Have you decided to play my game once more?"

"Seeing as you're still alive," says his wife, her voice like a nightingale, "I suppose I have no choice."

His laughter booms throughout the castle's halls.

"Excellent!" He grabs his wife and draws her close, guiding one of her hands to his shoulder, then resting one of his own on her waist. With a rumbling in his chest, he begins to hum. Slowly, the walls echo the sound, adding lutes and lyres and a steady drum. The waltz he leads her through is out of tempo with the song, yet they both know the steps so well it's as easy as breathing.

"Well, what game did you have in mind this time?" She asks. "Another war perhaps?"

"My pretty Desdemona, you'd like that, wouldn't you? I've always loved that bloodlust of yours." The man chuckles. "But no war this time, I'm afraid. I've decided I'd like to add to my collection."

"A treasure hunt then?" Desdemona holds onto her husband's shoulders as he lifts her by her waist. "How very dull of you, Adrastus."

"You misunderstand me, my love. By collection, I was referring to my menagerie. I'd like a new pet."

"And what foul beast have you set your sights on this time?" Desdemona asks.

"Oh my. You haven't noticed yet, have you? I thought for certain you'd be able to sense it." Adrastus bends her in a dip so low she almost touches the floor. "I suppose I was overestimating your magic."

"What exactly have I failed to sense?"

Adrastus raises her from the ground with a hard yank. "A new Cycle has begun."

The music stops. Desdemona jerks away from him. Fire fills her eyes, and she's across the room in an instant.

"Have you lost what ounce of sanity you still had?!" She yells, voice no longer a nightingale but a banshee. "As if I'd ever let you get your hands on a Phoenix! I'd sooner destroy it myself!"

Once more, Adrastus' laughter fills the castle. A chorus of voices mimics the sound. In a single step, he has her trapped against the wall.

"Then let's make that the game, my love!"

Desdemona narrows her eyes, the flames dying a little. "What do you propose?"

Adrastus lifts a palm to her face and caresses her cheek with a single claw.

"Do you believe you can destroy the Phoenix before I awaken it? I'd give you ten years to prepare, during which I will have no direct influence over the Phoenix's life."

"You're willingly giving yourself a handicap?" Desdemona kisses his palm."How sweet."

"Anything for you, my love." Adrastus tucks her hair behind her ear. "After ten years, the real game begins. We can't use our magic on the Phoenix, nor can either of us directly harm it. If I can awaken it before the Cycle's end, I win. If you can kill it, you win."

"Is that all?"

"Unless you'd like to add something."

Desdemona thinks through his words before nodding.

"Fine," she says. "Same stakes as always?"

"Of course." Adrastus holds out his hand, lightning forming in his palm. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes." Desdemona holds out her own hand, fire dancing on her skin. As soon as they touch, a burst of golden light surrounds them. When they let go, the black marks of chains have formed on their wrists.

Adrastus pulls his wife into an embrace and kisses her hard enough that blood flows from her lips.

"May the best man win, my love."

* * *

_~October 3rd, x790~_

* * *

The salty taste of the sea lingers on Lina's lips as she closes her eyes and listens to the waves break against the cliffside below her. She breathes in through her nose, holding the air in her lungs, waiting, listening. A gull gives a mournful call as the direction of the wind suddenly changes. Her green eyes snap open, and she runs, barefoot, towards the cliff edge.

She leaps.

Her long braids whip around her face. Her eyes sting and tear up, but she keeps them wide open. A wave rises from the ocean. She lets it grab her. The water is cold as snow, just the way she likes it, and for a moment she allows herself to sink deeper and deeper and deeper. Light filters from above. How easy it would be to stay here forever.

Kicking her feet behind her, she swims towards the base of the cliff. There, glittering in the jagged rocks is her objective: the small, iridescent black gems embedded in the cliffside.

Kazan Gems are a rarity, only found in the small harbor of Barberry Town and only at the base of this specific cliff. The legend goes that they're the tears of some princess or other who jumped to her death after her lover died in a war. Very typical. Most of the legends Lina has heard through her life went the same way.

Ajax had tried to explain to her that something about the quality of the water and the way the sun hit it and the residual magic of the Obsidian Mountain blah blah blah. She's not one for Magic Theory, though she does like the look Ajax gets in his eyes when he rambles about it. All she knows about the Kazan Gems is that they're difficult to get to and have strong healing properties, which makes them valuable.

Lina latches onto the rocks and exams the cluster of gems before her. She'll need to be careful about the way she extracts them. Damaging the gems, even minutely, renders them useless, and therefore unsellable. Slowly, she lifts her hand and rotates her wrist. Water swirls around her, and she spins it faster and faster until it's can act as a makeshift drill. She chips away bits of rock piece by piece. Every so often, she must rise to the surface for air, and altogether the process takes her almost three hours.

In a woven bag around her neck, she carries the gems as she climbs the cliffside back up to the top, where she collapses in exhaustion. She loves the cold of the sea, but the warmth of the sun also feels wonderful. If her calculations are correct, this will be the last trip she needs to make, at least for a while. She starts to doze off, thinking of her discussion with Ajax a month ago.

* * *

_Lina scowled as her husband, her beloved, her partner in crime, and the light of her life laughed himself silly. He braced himself against the stove, his hands resting right on top of the burners without any problem._

_"Are you finished?" She asked, trying not to sound too much like a petulant child. She'd known that convincing Ajax to start a guild would be hard work, but she'd also assumed that he would at least take her seriously. Not that she didn't understand his reaction: Barberry is not a town known for its magic._

_Ajax straightened himself out and wiped away a few tears. _

_"Marcelina" he said, "are you forgetting who you are?"_

_"Mi sol," Lina replied, "are you forgetting your connections?"_

_"Are you talking about Donovin?" Ajax scoffed. "Not even he would let you start a guild."_

_"Maybe not, but you would be an acceptable applicant, right?"_

_Ajax looked at her like she'd threatened to murder him._

_"Why are you trying to do this to me? I thought you understood my aversion to bureaucracy." He shuddered and shook his head. "No. The whole reason I left the Rune Knights was to avoid exactly that!"_

_"I thought you left them for me." Lina pretended to pout._

_"It was twenty percent for you, and eighty percent for my sanity." Ajax ducked away laughing as Lina swatted at him with a tea towel. She chased him around the kitchen for a while until they were both too breathless with laughter to keep running._

_"Ajax," Lina said once she'd caught her breath. "I'm serious about this, you know."_

_He offered her a smile and gave her a quick peck. "I believe you, but you and I both know how reckless you can be. Remember our wedding?"_

_"How could I forget." Lina leaned into his chest. "I'd say it ended up working out, though."_

_"I guess I can't argue with that," Ajax said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll make you a deal: if you find a place we can use as a guildhall, and convince Zyon to let you start one, I'll contact Donovin about the necessary paperwork."_

_Brilliant and bright, Lina grinned. "Challenge accepted."_

* * *

"Mama!" A small voice breaks through Lina's thoughts, and her lips curve into a smile.

"Over here, _Pollito._" She calls as she sits up.

Her son comes bounding towards her, his dimpled grin bright enough to light up the darkest night. At eleven years old, Evander is the perfect blend between Lina and Ajax. It's almost as if someone dumped all of their features in a bag and only pulled out the best ones to create her boy.

"Look what Dad taught me!" Evander holds his cupped hands out to her, a tiny, controlled flame coming to life in his grasp. It flashes from red to blue as he still struggles to control its temperature, but compared to last week when he almost burned down his bedroom, this is a vast improvement.

Lina laughs in joy, throwing her head back until she falls over. Evander joins with his own giggles, extinguishing his fire before tackling his mother with a hug. They roll around together amongst the dirt, ignoring the fact that Lina is soaking wet and their clothes are no doubt getting covered with mud and leaves.

"With progress like that, you will become a master in no time, _Pollito_!"

"That's what Dad said!"

"Great minds think alike." Lina ruffles his mahogany hair. "Now let's go home. I'm starving. What was your father making for dinner?"

"Deer! Catie took down a buck all by herself! It was awesome! But when we brought it back, Ria started crying! She's such a baby."

"Be nice to your sister, Evander."

"But Catie did something so cool and Ria made her feel bad about it! It's okay now though. Dad fixed it. That's why we're still having deer. But guess what? He's making something special for Ria cuz she doesn't want to eat the deer. I told him that's not fair cuz when I didn't want to eat the weird squash the neighbor brought over, I got in trouble. He said it was different but I don't think it is. Anyway, that's why he taught me that neat trick. Then he sent me to find you so I'd stop bugging him. But when we get back-"

Lina listens to her son ramble on about his day and feels all is right in the world.

* * *

_~October 7th, x790~_

* * *

Ajax regrets making that promise when Lina drags him and the kids through the Nightshade Forest with only moonlight to guide them. He doesn't understand why they couldn't do this during the day, nor why Lina won't let him conjure a flame for light, but he supposes it's fine. The kids are having fun chasing fireflies and jumping out behind trees to surprise each other.

"Tada!" Lina says standing in front of a single-story building with a rotted wooden sign that looks like a sphinx. The roof is uneven, and weeds and vines climb the cracked brick walls. Ajax is pretty sure he can see a tree growing inside, but it's hard to tell with the dusty windows.

"This used to be a merchant's guild back in the day! No one's used it in ages. Mayor Zyon said as long as I bought the land, I could do what I wanted with it! We'll probably need to build dormitories for people to live, or maybe I can convince Madam Rouge to give us a discount on rooms. We're going to have to remodel the outside, and the inside's going to need some reparations but otherwise-"

"Lina! Wait! Where are we going to get the money to pay for this?"

"Hmm? Oh! I already did! What did you think I've been doing lately?"

Ajax is speechless. It seems he underestimated his wife's desire.

"Lina, a guild is a lot of responsibility. Are you positive you want to do this? This isn't just a whim you're going to give up on in a year, is it?"

Lina smiles at him like she knows the secrets of the universe.

"_Mi sol_, do you know why I want to start a guild?"

"I'd assumed it was because you were bored."

She laughs and takes his hands in hers.

"Every day our children are getting stronger. Their magic is growing fast, but there is only so much they can learn in this small town. I want them to see just how big the world is and meet all kinds of different people from all walks of life." Lina watches her children with a smile only a mother can give. "But it's more than that now. Catrina reminded me just how many people don't have a place to go, and how desperately some need a second chance. Heaven knows where I'd be if you hadn't given me one. Now, I won't do this without you. If you think we can't handle the responsibility, then I'll trust you." Lina pulls away just out of his reach. "But I believe in us and our future."

Ajax looks down at his wife, captured by the way the moonlight lights up her skin and makes her eyes glow. Sometimes he can't believe she's real, but the feel of her callused hands in his is enough to convince him.

"I have faith in you," he says, "so let's start a guild."

Lina cheers and jumps into Ajax's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. She kisses his face all over, and he can't help but laugh, even as he loses balance and they fall to the floor.

"DOGPILE!" Evander yells. Before he knows it, Ajax has his entire family sitting on top of him.

* * *

_~October 12th, x790~_

* * *

Floating atop the ocean, her blonde hair fanning around her as she lets the sun add freckles to her pale skin, Catrina smiles to herself. Life on Fiore's west coast is so different from the capital where she grew up. There was never enough sunlight there.

Someone nudges her arm, and Catrina opens one eye to look to her left, where Evander floats beside her with a big grin.

"I knew I'd find you here," he says.

Catrina hums, closing her eye again. She feels Evander reach for her hand and lets him lace their fingers together. His skin is much warmer than the water, but she doesn't mind. Over the past four years, she's come to know that Evander and Ajax are warm as a summer's day at all times.

"We're like otters," Evander says and Catrina laughs at the image. For a while, they bask in each other's company for a while. Without any wind and so close to shore, the ocean is almost still. She can feel it's gentle movements though, and wonders about the underwater life no doubt swimming below them.

"Are you excited?" Evander asks suddenly.

"About what?"

"The guild Mama wants to start! It's cool, right?"

"I guess."

"You don't think it's cool?"

She sighs and lets go of Evander's hand to stop floating. Her feet sink into the sand as she starts to walk towards land. Her hair feels heavy, and she shivers a little. A small breeze has picked up.

"Hey! Catie! Wait!" Evander chases after her. He's not as tall as Catrina, and he has to swim a bit before he can stand. "Why are you mad?"

"I'm not." She ties her hair back and puts her sandals on, pulling her blue sundress over her swimsuit. It doesn't do much to warm her up.

"Don't lie! What's wrong?" Evander grabs onto Catrina's arm, bringing her to a stop. She glowers down at him. The wind starts to blow harder.

"Let go."

"No! Tell me why you're mad!"

"I said I'm not mad!"

"Liar!"

The wind whips around them now, kicking up sand and blowing it in their faces, but neither backs down.

Evander yelps as a gust suddenly strikes his arm, drawing blood. He doesn't let go though and just holds on to her tighter.

Catrina forces herself to take a deep breath through her nose and holds it. She starts to count back from ten, just like Mama Lina taught her, and the furious wind starts to die down. She lets the air go, and her shoulders slump. Her eyes land on Evander's fresh cut.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it." Evander releases his grip on her arm.

"It's not okay." Catrina brings a hand up to rub her eyes. "I don't want my magic to hurt people."

"That's why Mama says not to ignore your feelings." Evander pats her shoulder. "Why were you mad?"

"I don't even know. I guess… I just don't like the idea of a bunch of people coming to Barberry. Especially if they're mages."

"Because of your birth dad?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

Evander scowls, reaching for Catrina's hand. They intertwine their fingers, both observing the contrast between their skin tones. She looks exceptionally pale against Evander's warm, brown skin. She wonders it often, what people think when they see her with the Cinerus family. Everything about her, from her skin to her eyes to her hair and even her magic reveals the truth: one of these things is not like the others.

"He sucks," Evander says it like its a fact: the sky is blue, the grass is green, Catrina's biological father sucks.

"Yeah."

"...Let's go home."

"Okay."

* * *

The skin on his mother's hands is jagged and rough and raised. Evander traces the patterns with his fingers, following it up to her wrist where the scars stop while his mother hums. His baby sister, Ria, rests against their mother's chest, half-asleep while Catie helps their dad in the kitchen. He can hear them talking, but not the words themselves.

"Mama," he says, leaning on her shoulder. "What song are you humming?"

"I don't know the name."

"Can you teach it to me?"

She answers by singing:

_"De la Sierra Morena,_  
_Cielito lindo, vienen bajando,_  
_Un par de ojitos negros,_  
_Cielito lindo, de contrabando._

_Ay, ay, ay, ay,_  
_Canta y no llores,_  
_Porque cantando se alegran,_  
_Cielito lindo, los corazones._"

She goes over the words with Evander slowly, helping his pronunciation until they're both able to sing it together.

"Mama," Ria asks softly. "Did your mama teach you this song?"

"No _Sirenita. Mi hermano_ taught me. I didn't have a mama."

"You have a brother?" Evander asks. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in a very long time."

"Why?" Ria asks. She's fully awake now, looking up at their mama with wide, hazel eyes.

"A long time ago, before your big brother was born, your dad and I had to disappear together; I had to leave behind my old family."

"Like Catie?"

"A little bit different. Catrina had to leave so she would be safe. I was in trouble, Victoria. I had to leave my brother so _he_ would be safe." She sighs, pulling Ria close. "I wish things were different. I miss my brother, but I always have a part of him with me in _mi corazón_."

Ria's not listening anymore, too busy crying and reaching for Evander.

"What if I have to leave my brother?" She manages to crawl off their mother's lap and clings to Evander. "I don't want to! Evander! I won't leave, so you don't leave too! Don't go away!"

"I'm not!" He whines but wraps his arms around Ria anyway.

"Promise? Promise you'll never leave?"

"Yes! I promise! Geez."

That seems to be enough confirmation for the little girl, who then runs into the kitchen.

"Catie! Promise you won't leave too!"

Evander moans, slumping against the couch with a pout.

"She's such a baby!"

"Be nice to your sister." His mother ruffles his hair and Evander swats her hand away. They sit in silence, listening to Catie placate Ria for a while.

"You're not in trouble anymore, right?" Evander asks, avoiding his mother's eyes.

"No _Pollito._ I'm safe now." She kisses his forehead. "Your dad fixed everything for me."

That makes Evander smile.

"Dad can fix anything, huh?"

"I think so."

* * *

_~December 12th, x790~_

* * *

"I can't fix this." Ajax huffs. He's on his back, staring at the ceiling light he's been trying to install for the past two hours as it dangles by a chain. For some reason, he just can't get the lachrima inside to connect properly.

"Why is this so hard?" Catie asks, covered in dust. "All the other lights were so simple!"

"It's cursed," says Evander. "The ghost of the old master doesn't want a new ceiling light, and he's cursed us."

"There's a ghost?!" Ria cries. "Mama! Is there really a ghost?"

"No _Sirenita_. Your brother is just joking. This was a merchant's guild, remember? No one ever died here." Lina pauses, looking around the room with suspicion before she adds "probably," under her breath.

"I'm done for today." Ajax sits up. "Let's go home. We'll figure this out tomorrow."

No one argues with that. They've all been here since morning, after all. Lina holds his hand as they walk through the Nightshade Forest back to town. Catie carries Ria on her back while Evander talks everyone's ear off.

"We're making good progress." Lina swings their hands. "We should be ready by next year."

"We should look into finding a professional to help us. I'll write Donovin and ask if he knows anyone."

"Did you send in all of the forms, yet?"

Ajax shakes his head.

"No. We still need a name. Any ideas?"

"Actually, yes. What about Mermaid Cove?"

"Isn't there already a mermaid guild?"

"There could be two mermaids, but I see your point. How about Medusa's Grotto?"

"...I'm pretty sure that's the name of a dark guild."

"That's where I heard that from!"

"Any others?"

"Hm…What do you think of Siren's Song."

"We are not naming our guild after a pirate ship!"

Lina bursts into laughter, and Ajax frowns at her.

"Have you just been messing with me this whole time?"

"A little bit. I really did like the name Mermaid Cove."

"It's not a bad name. If you have your heart set on it-"

"How about Phoenix Refuge?" Lina interrupts. Ajax's eyes widen and his mouth drops open.

They don't often discuss the Phoenix. Neither of them has so much as said the word in almost a decade. Ajax was certain they never would.

"Why?"

"It's a new beginning for us and for others, but also a place of safety. A place to call home." Lina sighs. "Besides, we can't ignore the Phoenix forever. It's entrenched in everything we are and everything we do. I don't want them growing up in fear of it the way you did."

"I don't want them trapped in its shadow either." Ajax whispers.

"So long as we're here," Lina says, "they won't be."

Before either of them can say more, a screeching bird flies at them through the night. An eagle, black as coal with a golden beak lands on Lina's shoulder, holding out its leg in front of her face. Wrapped around it is a message.

Lina unties it, and the bird flies away. She quickly scans the note, her face growing grimmer by the second.

"They're back," she whispers, and Ajax knows in that instant their lives will never be the same.

* * *

***As of October 16th, 2019, I am no longer accepting OCs.***


	2. The Loss

**Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_Ain't no sunshine when she's gone_

_It's not warm when she's away_

_Ain't no sunshine when she's gone_

_And she's always gone too long_

_Anytime she goes away_

_~ Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers ~_

* * *

_Prologue Part Two: The Loss_

* * *

_~December 13th, x790~_

* * *

It feels odd, tiptoeing through her own home like a criminal, trying desperately not to make a sound. It's been over a decade since she's had to move so silently, and it shows in the small creaks and thumps her footsteps leave behind. Once, she'd been able to slip in and out of a mansion without anyone being the wiser.

_Maybe I should start practicing when I get back, _she thinks, wondering how she'd even go about doing so.

She reaches Evander's bedroom door and inches it open to peer inside, holding back a chuckle at the sight; his limbs are sprawled out like a starfish and his head hangs off the side in a way she knows will hurt in the morning. Slipping inside, she gently rearranges him and tucks him under the covers. Her fingers brush his hair back, and she presses a kiss to his forehead.

_"Buenos Noches, mijo." _

Across the hall, she checks on her girls; Ria is practically buried under her mountain of stuffed animals, and Catie clutches a softly glowing moonstone close to her face. They're both much lighter sleepers than Evander, and she wouldn't be able to leave if she woke them, so she doesn't risk entering the room. Instead, she settles for blowing them each a kiss from the doorway.

Cautiously, she makes her way to the kitchen and the backdoor there. It's a cloudy night, so she can't rely on the moon and makes her way through the room by memory. Her fingers barely make contact with the doorknob when she senses someone just behind her.

"You don't have to go," he whispers.

Lina sighs. She's not even surprised he caught her. Ajax is the lightest sleeper of them all and would notice an ant creeping in through a crack in the wall. She turns to face him, preparing for the argument she'd been trying to avoid.

"You know that I do," she says.

"It isn't safe," he says, cupping her face in his hands. "Please. Stay."

"I can't abandon them, Ajax. Despite everything, they're still _mi familia_. Besides," she wraps her fingers around his wrists and squeezes, "it's my fault they're even in this mess."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is." Lina backs away from him. "And I've already made my choice. Nothing you can say will make me change my mind. I'm going, and you can't stop me."

Ajax sucks in a sharp breath. She can't see his face, but she's sure his brow in crinkling in that way that adds years to his face. If she could, she would kiss all his worries away, but now isn't the time.

"Fine," he says, "if you won't stay, then I'm coming with you."

"Ajax, you can't."

"I'm going and you can't stop me."

Lina makes a desperate noise in the back of her throat. She hates when he throws her words back at her like that.

"You don't understand." She takes a deep breath and swallows the sick feeling creeping up her throat. "I'm not just going to help them. I'm going to put an end to things. For real this time."

She waits for the true meaning of her words to sink in and tries not to feel stung when he takes a step away from her.

"So… you're going to-"

"Yes."

The silence is suffocating as she waits for his response.

"You vowed you'd never kill again," he says and Lina is glad he can't see the way she flinches.

"I know," she whispers. It's painful trying to speak past the lump of emotion in her throat.

The silence once more presses down upon her, but blessedly, Ajax doesn't let her wallow in it long as his arms wrap tightly around her. She could weep in relief as she clings to him.

"I thought you'd hate me," she mumbles into his chest.

"How could I when I know how hard this is for you?" Ajax rests his chin on her head. "You truly believe this is the only way?"

"Yes. Otherwise, she'll just keep coming back. But I can't ask you to kill for me." Lina shushes him before he can protest. "No, listen. Stay here. Take care of the kids. Tell them I love them, and I'll be home soon."

"Do you swear?" He pleads. "Do you promise you'll come home, no matter what?"

"Of course, _mi sol_. I'll always come home to you."

With a final, rushed kiss, Ajax lets her go, and as soon as she's out the door, Lina starts running.

She's spent her whole life running, it seems: running from animals she'd disturbed. Running from bullies she annoyed. Running from merchants she robbed. Running from the law. Running from her memories. Running from her guilt. Running from her sorrow.

All that running can wear a person out. Eventually, it catches up to them.

* * *

_~February 4th, x791~_

* * *

Lightning strikes the water in the distance and Ajax frowns as the dark, gray clouds roam closer to the harbor. He's always hated the moments before it rains. The way everything seems charged with electricity puts him on edge; he feels like a tiger trapped in a cage. Normally, he'd be inside already, complaining while Lina laughed at him. She loves the anticipation of rain almost as much as she loves the rain itself. To her, there is nothing more freeing than the promise of a storm.

But Lina isn't back yet, and Ajax has work to do.

He finishes tying down the tarp over Catie's garden and hopes it'll be enough to protect the small flowers that have only just started to bloom. She'll be upset if they don't make it. He still needs to tie down everything in their shed as well and bring whatever can be damaged by the water into the house and out of Evander's reach somewhere.

"Dad."

Speak of the Devil, and he will come.

"Yes, Ev?" Ajax finishes pounding in the last peg to secure the tarp.

"There's a ship coming."

Ajax's brow furrows as he looks up. It'll be a big storm tonight, and the Rune Knight Navy should have sent out a warning to all ships in the vicinity to avoid Barberry Harbor; it's almost impossible to not crash into the sharp rocks waiting just off the shore in this weather. Gazing out into the distance, Ajax can see that Evander isn't mistaken. Billowing black sails take shape as a large ship approaches faster than it should be considering the wind is blowing in the opposite direction. It can only be powered by magic, and there's only one magic ship with black sails that would be daring and stupid enough to try to pull into the harbor in these conditions. He doesn't like what it might suggest that Lina would risk the Siren's Song's destruction or capture this way.

Something is wrong.

"Ev, go inside and keep you and your sisters occupied. Whatever happens, don't come outside."

"Dad, what's going on?" Evander asks. Ajax can't resist offering him a small smile and ruffling the boy's hair. It bodes to how worried he is that Evander doesn't stop him.

"I'm sure everything's fine, but better safe than sorry, okay?"

Evander nods and rushes inside. The wind slams the door shut behind him.

Ajax isn't convinced that his son will follow his orders, so he goes to the small, orange cottage next door and knocks.

"Yes?" A voice like a nightingale's call answers.

"I'm sorry to bother you Miss Calypso, but do you mind keeping an eye on my children while I step out for a bit?"

A young woman with ice-blue eyes and a mane of ebony hair opens the door and smiles at him. "Of course, Mr. Cinerus. Your brood is an absolute delight. May I ask if everything is fine, though?"

"Just a few more preparations for the storm." Ajax waves off her concern. "You're welcome to ride it out with us."

"Thank you, Sir. I may take you up on that offer."

Ajax walks her back to his house before running to his shed. He grabs the first weapon he can find -an ax with an obsidian handle- and sprints to the beach to wait. It's been twelve years since he last saw the Siren's Song, but he can picture it as clearly in his mind as the ax in his hands. He spent three grueling years tracking it down, after all.

Still, his breath is stolen at the sight of the familiar black wood and the laughing mermaid figurehead hanging from the bowsprit. Its sails are so big they nearly take up the entire skyline and its flag waves furiously in the wind.

To his surprise, the ship pulls up short of the harbor and lowers a small lifeboat into the violent waters. He's amazed the dinghy doesn't get flipped onto its side immediately. The Siren's Song sails away, even faster now with the wind to help it, while the dinghy drifts towards the shore. He can see the shape of a person sailing it, but not much else.

The storm is right upon them now. The downpour will begin any minute.

Lightning flashes and Ajax catches a glimpse of warm brown skin and bright green eyes. He drops his ax, running as hard as he can. He doesn't stop when his feet touch the water. He just wades, then swims until he reaches the boat and helps drag it ashore. Lina smiles when she sees him, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Ajax understands why when she tries to stand and collapses against him.

"I'm home," she says, raspy and weak. She lifts her hand to his face and cups his cheek. Two puncture marks are on her wrist, and a bruise in the shape of a rose blooms dark against her skin.

Ajax feels like laughing. Lina would come back bearing the Mark of Death.

"Welcome home," he says, choking back a sob as it starts to rain, and his wife faints in his arms.

* * *

The Mark of Death comes from the bite of the Ivory Serpent, a beautiful creature sought after for its pearlescent scales. It is said that a single drop of its venom can incapacitate a wyvern, and once bit, there is no hope for survival; the victim must deal with the painful shutdown of all of their organs as the venom travels in a strange pattern that leaves behind rosette bruises on the skin.

Lina lives two more days with the venom, but it is not a peaceful existence. Ajax doesn't want the kids to see her this way. Their last memories of their mother shouldn't be of her suffering, but Lina insists.

"There are things I have to tell them," she says.

How can Ajax begrudge her anything?

* * *

Victoria is too young to truly understand what's happening. She's barely eight years old. All she knows is that her mama is sick and her papa is sad. She's scared, but she listens when her mother whispers in her ear:

"_Mi sirenita_, I'm sorry. Mama won't be able to teach you her tricks."

"Why Mama?" Victoria whines and starts to cry.

"I have to go away soon, but you're a smart girl, and so, so brave." Lina kisses her head. "Don't give up on your magic, even when it's hard, and you'll be able to master it in ways I could only dream of."

"I don't want you to go away, Mama."

"I know, _mi sirenita_. I know."

At fourteen, Catrina knows what's happening all too well. She's not scared, but there is an ache in her chest and a lump in her throat she's never felt before.

"Catrina, why are you so far away?"

"You're sick, aren't you Mama Lina?" Catrina wrings her hands together. "I don't want to catch it."

"Don't worry, it's a sickness you can't catch." Lina holds out her hand. "Come closer, _mi conejita_, so I can tell you something."

Against her better judgment, Catrina obeys. She even takes Lina's hand and rubs her thumb against the rough skin.

"This is your home, for as long as you want it, and we are your family, no matter what. It's okay to believe that. You can stop pretending to be so distant, _mi conejita_."

Catrina cries and pulls Lina's hand closer to her chest.

"Don't go," she sobs, "please, don't die."

"I'm sorry," is all Lina can say.

Evander watches his sisters cry over their mother and can't breathe. The fire, the anger inside him has burned all the oxygen in his lungs. He doesn't understand how he can manage to speak, but somehow he does.

"I'm going to save you," he declares.

"Evander," Catie starts, but Ria interrupts her.

"Me too! I'll save you too!"

"You can't, _mis bebés_." Lina's voice is stern, but Evander just shakes his head.

"Yes, I can. I just need to find enough Kazan, right? Or one that's big enough. I can do it."

"No amount of gems can heal this," Lina whispers, starting to cough.

"Then what's even the point of them?!" Evander snaps. "Why did you spend all that time looking for something so useless?!" His skin catches fire, his green eyes flashing black.

Catie pulls Ria close to her, backing away from their brother's fire.

"Evander, you need to calm down." Lina tries, but he starts yelling over her.

"I HATE THIS! I HATE IT! IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO BAD! WHY MAMA? WHY DOES MY MAGIC HURT SO MUCH?"

"Calm down, _Pollito!_ You're scaring your sisters! Just breathe!"

"I CAN'T!" Evander screams and runs from the room.

* * *

Ajax traces the fading embers Evander leaves in his wake to the beach. It's still raining, it has been ever since Lina came back, but the water isn't enough to put out the purple flames enveloping his son.

"Evander," he calls out and almost falls over when the ball of fire that was once his boy crashes into him. If he were anyone else, Evander would have seriously burned him, just like Ajax burnt Lina so long ago.

"I'm sorry," Evander cries, "I'm sorry! I don't know what's wrong with me, but I don't want it anymore! I can't take it anymore! Make it stop, Papa, please!"

Ajax stares at his young boy. It's the first time he's seen him cry since he was little. Once Ria was born, Evander made it his mission to be strong and protect her. He hadn't even cried when he broke his arm falling off their roof. Only an unbelievable amount of pain would make his son break down like this, and Ajax remembers what that pain feels like.

He wraps his arms tight around Evander and pulls him closer, noting that the boy has grown again.

"Ok," he says. "I can help you, but what I do might be permanent, Evander. It may even make your magic more erratic in the future. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes!"

He shouldn't believe his son when he's under duress. This may end up being the stupidest thing Ajax has ever done, but he can't bear to see his boy in so much pain. All he can do is hope that Evander doesn't regret this.

Ajax calls upon magic he hasn't used in over a decade, and carefully seals away his son's power.

* * *

When they return home an hour later, Ajax has to carry his unconscious son on his back. The house is silent, and he hates how empty it feels. Carefully, he settles Evander into bed and tucks him in. His fingers brush against his son's forehead; the skin is clammy and cold.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," Evander mumbles in his sleep, and Ajax's heart breaks a little.

"It's not your fault," Ajax whispers, hoping the message somehow sinks into Evander's dreams.

Ajax begrudgingly leaves Evander with the light on and the door cracked open.

Lina will want to know what happened.

* * *

"Where are the girls?" He asks, stepping into the room.

"I sent them next door." Lina smiles. "That woman is a blessing, Ajax. Be kind to her."

"I will."

He stands by the door, silently watching her, burning her into his memory. She looks so small. The patter of the rain against the window isn't enough to cover up the rough, rasping sound of Lina's breathing. Most of her skin is covered in the rose-like bruises now. Her hair hangs dirty and limp around her face, and her lips are dried and cracked.

Ajax pours her a glass of water from the bedside table. Lina shakes as she tries to drink it.

"How's Evander?" She asks.

Ajax sighs. "He'll be okay for now."

"And his magic?"

He thinks of lying for a second, but what feels like a thousand years ago, he promised her open honesty. "Sealed away."

Lina closes her eyes and nods. "I hoped it would never come to that."

"So did I." He takes her hands in his. Lina squeezes and he can hardly feel it.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"Don't be." Ajax kisses her knuckles. "You don't regret going to help, and I wouldn't want you too."

"Still," Lina swallows, "it shouldn't be ending this way."

"No," he agrees, "it shouldn't."

"You'll be strong, won't you,_ mi sol_?" Lina asks. "You'll find a way to be happy? You'll find a way to make them happy?"

"I will." He promises.

Lina forces a smile, but her eyes fill with tears. She's trembling. "I'm scared, Ajax."

"Shh, don't be scared." He climbs into the bed and holds her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll be here, by your side, till the very end."

"Do you promise?" She cries softly, clinging to him with all her strength.

"I do." He whispers into her hair. "Always."

* * *

Lina slips away later that night. She does not go quietly, but with violent shutters and coughs of blood that leave her lips stained red and cracked.

"Ajax…" she wheezes, and he kisses her forehead.

"It's okay, Dearest. It's okay." He swallows past the lump in his throat and forces back his tears. "You don't have to fight it. You can let go."

Then with a final full-body shake, everything stops.

Here one second and gone the next, like a candle being blown out in the wind, with only a trail of smoke and a blackened wick to show the flame ever existed.

Thirty-seven years isn't much time in the grand scheme of things. It's an insignificant amount, not even a fraction of a blink in the lifespan of the universe. It means nothing, yet thirty-seven years of life was all Lina Cinerus was granted.

* * *

~February 11th, x791~

* * *

It's still raining, but Ajax doesn't mind so much. The water gives him comfort and allows him to mask his tears. Honestly, he would have felt cheated if it hadn't rained. At least with such gloomy weather, it feels like the sky sympathizes with him, almost like Mother Nature herself is in mourning.

Besides, Lina loves…

Loved the rain.

If he closes his eyes, he can almost picture her playing in it; he can see the way she'd gently flick her wrists and wiggle her fingers, forming the droplets into dancing shapes to make the kids laugh. With sparkling eyes, she'd splash Ajax, and he'd chase her as she teased him.

Maybe if he just keeps his eyes closed, he can pretend she's still laughing beside him, not lying in a freshly covered grave.

"Dad..." Ajax opens his eyes, ending his illusion.

Holding hands with his crying sisters, Evander stares at the grave of his mother and asks, "What are we going to do now?"

Ajax wraps an arm around the shoulders of his huddled children and thinks. The clouds break, the sun is beginning to peak through. There will probably be a rainbow soon, but he can't see it yet.

In the distance, however, he can see the entrance into the Nightshade Forest, and he thinks of promises and plans made in the moonlight.

"What do you three think of the name 'Phoenix Refuge?'"

Maybe it's just his imagination, but for a moment, Ajax can swear he feels a final drop of water land on his lips.

* * *

Desdemona stares in her mirror, watching the family and taking note of them all. Which one will it be? She can mostly guess. They're all candidates, but that one...

They look just like-

"How cruel, my love, to steal her away." Someone sighs in her ear. "Children need their mother. Not that I'd expect you to understand."

"What do you want, Adrastus?" Desdemona banishes the image. "It isn't time yet."

"I know. I've simply come to retrieve something." He flicks the necklace hanging around her neck. "You won't be having any use for our daughter, will you?"

Desdemona narrows her eyes.

"I hadn't planned on it."

"Excellent!" Adrastus claps. "If you would be so kind as to hand her over then?"

Desdemona sighs, pulling one of the black pendants from her necklace and giving it to her husband.

"I can't imagine you'll get much use out of her. Not after last time."

"Don't worry, my love. I'm sure I'll find something for her to do." He pecks her on the cheek. "Nine more years! I'm getting excited."


	3. The Dawn

**Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_'Cause when the sunlight laid its head down on this dark night_

_And I was talking to myself in the rear view_

_Yeah I've got questions but I know everything is alright_

_And all I have to do is just remember you_

_~ Keep Going - The Revivalists ~_

* * *

_Chapter One: The Dawn_

* * *

_~March 18th, x800~_

* * *

The sky comes alive as the morning light begins to peek over the top of the Obsidian Mountain. For a moment, twenty-four-year-old Catrina Cinerus stands and watches as orange, red, pink and blue blend before her eyes. She breathes in the chilly air around her; the smell of bread from the bakery reaches even the edge of Nightshade Forest, and she savors it before entering the woods. It's as black as pitch at this time of day, but this is a path Catie knows well. Her feet never trip or stumble.

As she breaks into the clearing, the sun's fresh rays warm her pale, freckled skin and she stretches her lithe body like a cat. She brushes aside morning dew from her honey blonde hair, while her pale blue eyes light upon the cobblestoned path greeting her. The walkway is lined with a variety of wildflowers in red, purple, and gold. The blooms are starting to open to the morning light, and a breeze wafts their delicate scent to her nose. She'll need to water them sometime today.

She follows the path to the red brick building at its end. She rests her hand against the large archway, right over the imprint of her concrete handprint. She's grown over the eight years since it's completion, but only slightly. An iron-wrought key beats against her chest as the wind picks up more. Catie pulls it from her neck and unlocks the oak doors of the guild, swinging them open. Flower petals flow in behind her.

Catie claps her hands three times, and one by one the ceiling lights flicker on. Well, all but the one smack dab in the middle. She surveys the main room, with it's four red circle tables. The chairs are distributed unevenly. Again. She does her best to rearrange them, but one of the chairs is missing. That's the third one in as many months. Where they go, she doubts she'll ever know. She's learned to ignore the oddities of the building.

Next in her routine is the mail. A bundle of letters is awaiting her in the dropbox. Some are addressed to various guild members, some are mission requests, two are bills, and of course, Ajax's personal mail takes up the majority. Catie makes quick work of separating what she knows he'll read from what he might throw away out of protest, (she'll save those for herself.) She organizes everyone else's mail into their various slots.

The minor requests she sticks to the mission board at the back of the guild, which is just a simple recycled corkscrew board. It's become overrun with colorful flyers and posters. Only half of them are guild related.

Right above the board hangs the portrait of a woman with bright green eyes and a smile that rivals the sun. The frame she sits in is engraved as such:

_Phoenix Refuge's First Guild Master: Lina Cinerus._

Catie traces her fingers over the lettering and smiles.

"Good morning Mama Lina," she whispers. "Thank you for looking after us again today."

The portrait doesn't answer, as usual, but Catie pretends Lina's smile grows wider.

Besides the board and portrait is a heavy, black door with a golden handle. A light shines from the crack at the bottom, and Catie shakes her head before knocking.

"Come in," calls a gruff voice.

Catie pushes the door open and it gets snagged on the plush purple carpet taking up most of the floor space. The guild's crest is woven into the center in gold. She glares at the offending rug, not for the first time imagining herself ripping it to shreds and tossing it in the garbage. Ajax doesn't even like it, but it was a gift, and he takes gifts seriously.

"You've got some mail, Dad," Catie says, stomping the carpet flat again.

He looks up from his paperwork, his black eyes tired and his grey streaked red hair curtaining his face. He blinks, then looks out his window. His eyebrows rise as he notices the dawn for the first time.

"It's morning already, Catie?" He asks.

"Yup. You stayed here all night. Again." Catie pulls half of Ajax's paperwork out of his hands. "I'm telling Apolla."

He groans. "Please don't. She'll make me drink another strange potion."

"She wouldn't have to if you took care of yourself." Catie takes even more of his paperwork from the pile on his desk. "I told you I'd help, didn't I? Stop trying to do everything on your own. Here. Read your mail and take a nap before the others come in. If you do as you're told, I'll ask Apolla to make you some coffee."

Ajax barks a laugh, and Catie smiles at him. The bags under his eyes seem lighter already.

"Thank you for your help, Catie. As always."

"That's what I'm here for. If you need me, I'll be taking inventory in the pantry."

Once she's gone, Ajax stares down at his almost empty desk. Catie managed to swipe most of his paperwork.

_She's got some quick fingers on her, _he muses as he goes through his mail. There are only three letters. He supposes Catie must have sorted them for him again. What would he do without her? Die of bullshit and bureaucracy, most likely.

He turns to the small photo of Lina on his desk and grins at her.

"I swear that girl of yours is the only thing keeping us afloat. She should just take over my job and call herself the guild master already."

_Shut up and do as you were told, Old Man. _He imagines Lina's response. With a chuckle, he checks his letters.

The first envelope has no return address or sender, but Ajax recognizes the elegant script spelling his name. This could be very serious, or nothing at all. He never knows with Donovin. He's tempted to throw it away.

With hesitant fingers, he breaks the gaudy wax seal.

Only two lines are written on the ivory paper.

_Snakes in the daffodils._

_Sirens in open waters._

Ice shoots up his spine. His hands spark, and Ajax burns the letter, dusting the ash into his potted sword lily. He leans back with a deep breath. His hands find his hair, and he pushes it back from his face.

"Shit," he says. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

Eight years. Eight goddamn years without so much as a trace, and Donovin's finally got a hit on the ship. Ajax had given up on ever getting answers as to what happened that night. It can't be a coincidence. Not with a new Cycle on the brink of beginning.

And what does he mean by the snake? Is he talking about the Rune Knights? Or was he trying to warn Ajax about someone in the guild?

He needs more info. He'll need to organize a meeting with Donovin as soon as he can. For now, though, there's nothing he can do.

He moves on to his next letter.

This one is from the Magic Council. _Now that definitely can't be a coincidence_.

Truly feeling his exhaustion now, Ajax breaks it open.

_To The Phoenix Refuge Guild Master and Former Captain Ajax Cinerus,_

_On the fifteenth of March, x800, Nobleman Julius Gaius was murdered in the streets of his hometown of Hemlock. Despite the time of death being midday, and the murder occurring in the middle of town, the residents claim no knowledge of what happened. _

_The Magic Council requests that you send a small team to conduct a __subtle_ _investigation into the town and people of Hemlock. This information is, of course, to be kept quiet until an official statement can be made. Should information on this case be leaked, your guild will be held responsible accordingly. We look forward to your swift response._

_Captain Sebastien Achilles_

Ajax scratches his beard and his fingers get a bit tangled. He reminds himself to shave later.

From what he can recall, Julius Gaius was a prominent member of the Nobleman Society and a frequent benefactor to the Magic Council before its reformation. Even so, the Magic Council does not typically concern themselves with matters outside of guilds and mages, so what about Nobleman Gaius were they interested in? It's a delicate matter, obviously, and they must feel that his status as a former Rune Knight is enough to trust him with this. Vague threats in the letter aside. The current Magic Council would not be familiar with him, though. He must have been recommended.

Donovin's name is written all over this.

"What is it you want me to know?" He mumbles to himself even as he rolls over to his filing cabinet and pulls out his notes on the guild members. He'll need them to determine who will be the best fit for this case.

* * *

Less than ten yards from the back of guildhall sits a shed the size of a barn. Half of it is made of glass, and a variety of plants can be seen from the outside. The other half is made of hickory and has been turned into a workshop, inside which can be found an array of tools, machines, and a thirty-six-year-old man by the name of Henry Garneau.

A burn scar can be seen traveling down Henry's neck and disappearing below his clothes: a brown leather vest with several pockets over a white denim button up (the right sleeve of which is cut off to expose his mechanical arm,) and thick brown pants, with matching leather steel-toed cowboy boots. His dark red hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and he has a short beard. A pair of tinted welding goggles obscure his eyes as he sits at his workbench. Sparks fly around him while the stick of a lollipop peeks out of his mouth.

Twenty-one-year-old Evander Cinerus stands a respectable distance away, twitching and flinching with every spark. Despite his discomfort, he keeps his green eyes glued to Henry's back, trying to determine his progress from the set of his shoulders. Absently, he tugs on his short mahogany curls. He takes three steps forward, jumping back two when a spark nearly lands on his jacket.

Evander has just worked up the courage to try to peer over Henry's shoulder when the man suddenly turns his welder off and raises his goggles. His green eyes narrow as he scowls down at a pair of gauntlets with black cracked lacrima embedded in the palms.

"They're busted," he announces.

"Okay," says Evander. "You can you fix them, right?"

Henry grunts, yanking the lacrima out of the gauntlets. They release a whir like a bee bumping into a window, and Evander winces.

"There's a complex amalgamation of magic and mechanics going on in these," Henry explains. "I can fix them no problem, but if you want them to work like they always have, then you're gonna need an identical pair of lacrima. That neighbor of yours, Calliope-"

"Calypso." Evander corrects. Henry waves him off.

"Ask her where she got 'em from, and I can order replacement parts." He points at Evander with his lollipop. "But you're paying for them, Kid. I'm tired of fixing your crap pro bono."

"Whatever you say, Henry," Evander says, already halfway out the door. "You better not turn them into scrap metal while I'm gone."

"Don't tempt me Brat!" Henry yells after him, but Evander's already gone. With a grumble, he flips his goggles down and pulls what looks like a mess of wires and metal in front of him.

As sparks surround Henry once more, Evander runs back to town. The sun has risen completely, it's light shining through the canopy to create shadows and shapes out of the leaves. Since he can see, Evander takes a shortcut. He ducks beneath branches. He hurtles over rocks and roots. He nearly gets taken out by a Thornberry bush, but somehow he makes it to Barberry in half the time, only a little breathless and slightly worse for wear.

He runs to Calypso's house and knocks on her door. She doesn't answer. He knocks again. She still doesn't answer. He rings her doorbell.

No answer.

He rings her doorbell over and over and over and over and over and over, over, over, over, overoverovervoverov-

"You can cut that out now! I'm in the garden, Evander!" She calls, her tone laced with annoyance.

He chuckles as he hops her fence.

And is almost immediately ensnared by a viper vine.

"Woah!" He yelps as he falls into a nearby shrub

"Perfect timing." Calypso pulls him to his feet. "Help me wrangle this. Valerie's throwing a temper tantrum."

"You named it Valerie?!" Evander asks, but Calypso ignores him. Together, they work to get the vine under control, a twenty-minute task that involves Evander wrestling it to the ground while Calypso ties it back onto its trellis.

They go inside, and Calypso brews them some tea. She settles into her armchair and takes a sip with her eyes closed.

"Now," she says, "what can I help you with?"

Evander downs his tea in one gulp. "You know my gauntlets?"

Calypso raises a single brow. "Yes?"

"I broke them."

"Evander! How?!"

"Not important. I need to know where you bought them from."

Calypso sighs. "I didn't buy them. I made them."

"Really?" Evander asks.

"Yes. I did look into buying something similar, but you needed them custom made to work with your… limitations."

"You wouldn't happen to have a pair of extra lacrima lying around, would you?"

"No, but I can get more. I extracted them from the Obsidian Mountain's peak. It's a dormant volcano, Evander. Residual magic forms fire-based lacrima out of dormant volcanoes all the time. I'm nearly certain I've explained this to you before."

"If you did, I don't remember!" Evander stands. "Let's go! If we leave now, we can make it back just after sunset."

"Not so fast, Evander!" Calypso holds up her hand. "The spring equinox is almost upon us. I have to make preparations for my garden. I can't leave until it's over."

"I'm supposed to go on a mission with Ria tomorrow! I can't wait."

"I'm afraid you'll have to. Besides, it's your fault for breaking them. Come back in two days, and I'll take you to harvest them. If you bother me before then, I'll make you wait longer."

Calypso pushes him out her door before he can protest, and locks it behind him. Evander starts spamming her doorbell again, but she disables it. He tries to pound on the door, but she's cast some sort of spell that doesn't allow him to make contact.

"Dammit." He kicks a nearby rock and considers his options. He has half a mind to camp on Calypso's porch until she agrees, but he has a feeling she'll find a way to get him off anyway.

_I know where to get them now. I can just go myself, _he thinks. _Though, it'll probably be faster if someone can help me. _

The lightbulb that appears above his head is visible within a five-mile radius. Once more he runs through the woods, this time in search of Catie.

* * *

Back in Barberry, eighteen-year-old Victoria Cinerus watches an indigo beetle crawling under a clear, plastic cup while its antennae test the edges and search for a way out. She checks the watch on her wrist and sighs. With a single finger, she touches the side. Small drops of water condense inside. The beetle takes a few laps around the cup but eventually drinks it.

"What are you doing?" Asks a familiar voice.

Ria screams and jumps. With a frown and furrowed brow, she turns to the speaker, a fourteen-year-old by the name of Razi Bharx.

He stares up at her with wide eyes, the left red and the right green, a stark contrast to his pale skin. A loaf of half-eaten bread is clutched in his hands. Despite the rising heat of fast-approaching spring, he wears a high necked hoodie with the hood drawn over his head. Only a snippet of his black hair can be seen. He hops from barefoot to foot, his bushy tail twitching behind.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people." Ria scolds.

"I didn't!" Razi pouts, pulling his hood closer to his face. "I just asked a question."

Ria huffs turning back to the little bug.

"Someone trapped this Bard Beetle under a cup, and I'm waiting to see if they'll come back."

"Why?"

"I can only think of two reasons to do this to the poor little guy: he's someone's escaped pet, and they put this over him temporarily in order to keep him from running off while they get his cage, or they were a jerk without compassion who trapped him in hopes that someone else would deal with him, or in hopes he would die. I plan to rectify the situation while also educating them on proper Bard Beetle care."

Razi takes a bite of his bread. "How long have you been waiting?"

Ria hums as she checks her wrist. "I think it's been an hour now."

Razi swallows his food. "I don't think they're coming back."

Tying back her curly, dark red hair in a bun, Ria sighs. "No. I don't suppose they are."

She lifts the cup off the beetle, holding her hand out toward the creature. Spooked, it pinches her finger. Blood beads around the small puncture holes, but Ria doesn't seem to mind. She places a hand behind the beetle to stop it from escaping, and it pinches her again. Ria taps its back in gentle admonishment and whistles a soft, three-note tune. The beetle's antennae perk up at the sound, and she whistles it again.

Slowly, the beetle repeats it. She whistles again, and the beetle copies her once more. She holds out her hand, and this time it hops onto it, all the while repeating its new song.

"That's pretty neat. Will he repeat anything?" Razi tries to poke it, but Ria moves it out of his reach.

"Only simple, short melodies," she says. "And they don't like to be touched without permission."

"Oh. Okay. Mr. Beetle, can I please touch you?"

"No. That's not what I-" Ria cuts herself off with a startled yell as someone taps her on the shoulder.

The Bard Beetle chirps, high pitched and rapid like an alarm. Ria shushes it, even as she glares with all the heat she can muster up at the person who disturbed her.

What greets her is a suit of silver armor with glowing mana lines etched into the metal. From the shadow of the visor, a pair of striking blue eyes peek out. The armor holds out its hands in a pacifying manner. Ria's annoyance gives way to curiosity.

"I'm assuming there's a person inside there. What's your name?"

The armor pulls out a pocketbook and quickly scribbles out a sentence.

'My name is Craish Desor. I apologize for startling you.'

"That's not the first time someone has scared me. I doubt it'll be the last. Did you need help with something?"

Craish nods, writing again.

"Why aren't you speaking?" Razi asks. "Is it because your helmet's in the way?"

Craish shakes his head, flipping to a new page and writing again.

'I'm mute.'

"What's that?"

"It means he can't speak."

"Ohhh," Razi says as Craish flips back to his previous page.

'I found a flyer advertising the Phoenix Refuge guild at the train station. Do you know where I can find it?'

"What flyer?" Ria asks even as Craish hands her a bright purple piece of paper with gold filigree writing.

_Are you bored?_

_Are you alone?_

_Are you way too broke to live?_

_Join Phoenix Refuge! You'll be less bored, less alone and less broke!_

A crayon drawing of an orange Phoenix sits at the bottom.

"Who even made this? Do you know Razi?"

"Nope." The younger boy answers. "They used the wrong purple though."

"I guess it doesn't matter. Come on," she says to Craish. "We'll take you to the guild. It's easy to get lost if you don't know the way."

"Are you trying to join?" Razi asks.

Craish nods, his armor clanking as he follows Ria and Razi into the Nightshade Forest. The beetle whistles as Ria places him on her shoulder.

"I think I'll call you, Avon." The beetle hops in agreement.

* * *

**Credits (In Order of Appearance):**

**Henry Garneau: The Restless Drifter**

**Razi ****Bharx: MaMcMu**

**Craish Desor: ****onyxwhip**


	4. The Interview

**Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_Call it any name you need_

_Call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever –_

_So long as you can feel it all_

_So long as all your doors are flung wide_

_Call it your day number 1 in the rest of forever_

_~ Level Up - Vienna Teng ~_

* * *

_Chapter Two: The Interview_

* * *

_~March 18th, x800~_

Birds chirp and sing as they flit from branch to branch, their wings iridescent as they reflect the sunlight peeking through the canopy above. Avon echoes their sounds and bounces in Ria's hands.

"If you keep doing that, you're going to fall," Ria says to the beetle. She scratches Avon's head, and he buzzes in a way that's almost a purr. With a small chuckle, she spins on her heel and turns to face Craish and Razi, walking backward on the path.

Craish points to an overgrown tree root in her way, but she hops over it without missing a step.

"This is the Nightshade Forest," she explains. "It can be easy to get lost in here, so make sure you stay on the path and try not to travel when there isn't light to guide you. If you do get lost, you can survive off the red mushrooms that attach themselves to tree trunks, but make sure you avoid the blue mushrooms; they induce vomiting and hallucinations. Don't eat any fruit growing from the trees unless someone shows you which ones are safe. Most of them are poisonous. Isn't that right Razi?"

"I was seven. When are you gonna let that go?" Razi says even as he bites into an apple he plucked. His hood is pulled down now to expose his black wolf ears atop his head, and the scar on the side of his neck.

"You could have died."

"But I didn't."

Ria glares at him then bends and picks up a stick off the ground. Avon squeaks in protest.

"Here," she says. She waves the stick back and forth a little, and Razi's eyes lock onto the movement. His tail starts to wag.

"Go fetch!" Ria throws the stick with as much force as she can. She even propels it with a blast of water, and it flies through the woods out of sight. With a yip, Razi chases after it.

Ria turns to Craish with a thumbs up and pats Avon to calm him down.

"That should keep him busy. Do you have any questions?"

'You seem close.' Craish scribbles. Ria hums and Avon copies the sound.

"I wouldn't say we're particularly close, but I have known him since he was six. He just kind of showed up at the guild one day, and he's been there ever since. He ended up becoming the second official member of Phoenix Refuge outside my family."

'Who was the first?'

"That would be Apolla, our resident healer. Don't let her title fool you though, I'm pretty sure she's an evil genius. She keeps experimenting with these potions and making everyone drink them. She gave me one the other day that made me feel like I'd gotten a full night's sleep and drank two glasses of water. It was horrible." Ria shudders.

'How does that make her evil?'

"She's trying to make me live a healthy lifestyle, and I don't appreciate it. Depression and sleep deprivation are my brand. What right does she have to take that away from me?"

Craish jots something else down in his pocketbook, but before he can show Ria, Razi comes bounding back with the stick in his mouth and stars in his eyes.

"Again!" He says.

Ria exaggerates a sigh, but the corners of her lips twitch up as she throws the stick once more.

* * *

"Your eyes, my love, are clear and green, sweet as honey and warm as spring," Catie sings to the flowers as she waters them, and they seem glad for the attention. Once the soil is soaked, she sets aside her watering can and draws out a pair of shears. Bruised leaves, broken stems, dying blooms- all fall to the might of her scissors. "Their color being all I know, to the Beyond, I'd gladly go."

"That is an interesting song," says a man with a thick accent, his tongue rolling the "r" heavily. "It is popular in Fiore?"

Catie's voice catches in her throat. Her face warms, and she tries to hide behind her sunflowers.

"I didn't realize someone was listening," she says.

"Ah. I apologize." The twenty-seven-year-old bows his head a bit. "I heard singing and followed. Your voice… it is..." He pauses, trying to remember the right word. He settles on "lovely," an emphasis on the "v".

The heat in her face spreads to her ears and neck, and Catie takes a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She peeks up through the flowers with narrow eyes.

Bors Gaheris is a broad, stocky man with short spiky brown hair. His nose is crooked, and his eyes are grey. On the left side of his face is a scar the size of a fist, and his left eyelid and part of his mouth sag slightly from paralysis. He wears a white shirt with a padded brown gambeson over it, a pair of loose-fitting black pants and ankle-high dark brown boots.

Catie's eyes linger on his scar a bit before meeting his eyes. Bors looks genuine in his compliment, and for some reason, that's worse than if he was teasing her. The heat spreads to her chest, and she ducks behind the flowers once more. She must be redder than a tomato.

"Thank you." She goes back to her trimming. "My… Someone taught it to me when I was little, but I haven't heard it anywhere else."

"I see," Bors says. He seems to notice Catie's embarrassment and changes the subject. "Is Master in? I would like to speak with him."

"He's in his office," Catie says, "though could you wait an hour before you speak with him? He stayed up all night, and I'd like him to get at least a little sleep."

"Yes." Bors nods. "It is not urgent. I will wait."

Catie gives him a bashful smile. "I made breakfast. Help yourself to whatever you'd like."

"Thank you, Catrina." Bors dips his head at her and walks towards the guild with quick, long strides.

Catie watches him go and waits till he's out of earshot to start humming to herself. A mild grin graces her features as she revels in the peace of the morning.

"CATIE!"

She sighs. Of course, Evander would come to disturb her.

"CATIE!" Evander yells again as he emerges from the woods. He's covered in mud and leaves with tiny scrapes all along his arms. When he spots Catie crouching amongst the flowers, he makes a beeline towards her. "I need your help!"

"Good morning, Evander," Catie says as she trims back a sunflower. "My day is going well. Thank you so much for asking. How is yours?" She looks over his sorry state. "Did you fall into a Thornberry bush again?"

"Yes." He grabs her wrists and yanks her to her feet. "I need you to come with me to the top of the Obsidian Mountain."

Catie pulls her hands back. "Why? I can't just leave, you know."

"I'll explain along the way, but we really need to start moving or we won't make it back in time to help Ria." He places his hands on her shoulders and looks down at her with wide and earnest eyes. "Please. It's important."

He looks so serious, Catie can't help but reach up with both hands and ruffle his hair. He squawks and pulls away.

"Alright," she says and flicks him on the nose. "Let's get going."

With a grin, Evander whoops and scoops Catie up, throwing her over his shoulder as he runs towards the mountain, Catie protesting the whole way.

* * *

An hour or so later, Craish, Ria, and Razi enter the clearing.

"If you keep going north, you'll reach the Obsidian Mountain," Ria says, "though I doubt you'll have any reason to go up there. I wouldn't recommend it, either. The place is crawling with wyverns."

'That's so close. Do they ever come into the town?'

"Sometimes during their mating season we'll have a problem with one or two, but they seem content to remain where they are."

As they walk towards the guild, Razi sniffs the air. His ears perk up and his tail starts to wag.

"Miss Catie made breakfast!" He cheers and breaks into a run. Avon catches his excitement and jumps up and down on Ria's shoulder.

"Catie is my older sister," Ria explains to Craish. "She's kind of taking up the role of Assistant Guild Master. She likes to cook for everyone when she gets a chance. She says it's therapeutic, I think she's trying to bribe us. Normally she's out here tending to the flowers." Ria looks around and spots Catie's abandoned sheers, but doesn't see her sister anywhere. "Something must have come up. I guess you'll just have to meet her later."

Craish and Ria continue down the path after Razi. Ria skips ahead a bit, shooting a smile back at Craish as she throws open the doors.

"Welcome to the guildhall," she says as Avon runs up and down her arm. "Half of the time the lights don't work, someone keeps stealing our chairs and we have a tree growing inside. We take turns watering it. Razi, I'm pretty sure it's your turn today!"

"I'll do it later!" Razi says as he piles as much food as he can balance onto his plate.

"Make sure you save enough for everyone! If I come back and everything's gone again, I'm gonna skip you across the ocean like a stone!"

Razi's ears flatten as he stops himself from making a second plate. He slumps in his seat with a great big sigh. He pouts and looks up at Ria with big, watery eyes, but she just smiles and mimics flinging a stone at him. He whines but starts shoveling food into his mouth, brightening up at the taste.

Avon mimics the whine, and Ria rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"So dramatic," she says, motioning for Craish to follow her.

He looks around him, taking in everything from the large wooden beams, to the vaulted ceiling to the tree indeed growing in the middle as if it was part of the building's design. He makes eye contact with the portrait on the wall, and for a moment, he's certain the woman winks at him. It must've been a trick of the light.

Ria leads him to Ajax's office and gives the door two quick raps, but doesn't wait for a response.

"I've got a recruit for you Dad," she says as she walks in, frowning as the door snags on the carpet. "I thought you were getting rid of this thing."

"Ria, when you knock you're supposed to wait for permission to enter. I'm in the middle of something." Ajax gestures to Bors.

"Oh sorry." Ria shrugs, scratching Avon's wings. "I didn't think anyone else was here."

"All is fine," Bors says as he stands. "You have answered my questions. I leave now, so you may speak."

"Are you sure?" Ajax asks, to which Bors' only response is a nod. "Alright. I'll let you know when I get more information. For now, just keep an eye out. Oh and please come back later. I have a possible mission I'd like you to consider. Bring Henry and Catie along, if you could."

Bors bows and leaves, but not before squinting at Craish as if he were a wild animal he was preparing to fight. Craish stands tall and squints back, though it was hard to tell through his armor.

Ria looks back and forth between them before rolling her eyes and pushing Craish forward, forcing the two to break their staredown.

Ajax disguises his chuckle as a cough before standing to reach a hand out to Craish.

"Welcome," he says, "I'm Ajax Cinerus. What brings you to our guild today?"

Craish shakes Ajax's hand, his grip firm.

"This is Craish Desor," Ria introduces. "He's mute, so he's been using his notebook to communicate. He found us through a flyer."

Ajax furrows his brow. "What flyer?"

Craish hands said flyer to Ajax, and the man shakes his head in disappointment.

"Why does he put so little effort into these things?" Ajax sighs.

"You know who made it?" Ria asks.

"It doesn't matter. Please have a seat, Mr. Desor." Ajax motions to the chair in front of his desk. "Ria, if you could leave us alone so I may conduct the interview."

She salutes the two lazily.

"Call me if you need anything."

Ajax waits for the door to close before taking his seat. He opens a drawer and pulls out a few papers.

"If you don't mind, I'll ask you to remove your helmet now."

Craish does so. His face is clean-shaven, with brown-tinged skin, and wavy black hair. A scar runs from the top of his left cheek down to his chin.

"You're younger than I was expecting," Ajax says. "How old are you?"

Craish takes out his pocketbook.

'I'm sixteen,' he writes.

Ajax nods and makes a note of it.

"I'm going to be asking you some questions. Don't think too much about your answers or feel pressured to answer something you are uncomfortable with. This is simply so I know what kind of person you are and whether or not you'll be a good fit for our guild. If I think Phoenix Refuge may not be the best place for you, I do know an array of guilds that may suit you better, and I'll be more than happy to get you in touch with their masters."

'I understand.'

"Excellent." Ajax smiles. "Let's begin."

* * *

As Ria closes the door behind her and makes sure its shut tight, Avon gives a whir as he tries to climb on top of her head.

"You're cute, but I'd rather you not nest in my hair," she says, grabbing him gently.

Ria holds Avon far from her head. The beetle wiggles its legs and claps its pinchers, mimicking the whine it learned from Razi earlier. With a roll of her eyes, she whistles a new tune. It catches Avon's interest and he copies her.

"Done with the tantrum then?" Ria asks, startling when someone laughs nearby.

"I see you picked up another friend," says a voice with a subtle German accent. "Where did you find this one?"

"He was by the station. Someone had trapped him under a cup." Ria clears her throat and averts her gaze, pretending she wasn't caught off guard. "Aren't you here a little early, Hunter?"

Hunter Damek is a nineteen-year-old young man with unkempt dirty blond hair that falls to the nape of his neck. His green eyes sparkle in amusement at Ria's reaction, and underneath his left eye are three small birthmarks forming a three-pointed star. He has a slim build and wears a black leather trench coat over a green long-sleeved shirt and a pair of brown pants tucked into black leather combat boots.

"I don't see how you could know when I typically arrive as this is the first time I've seen you in the guild before noon." He attempts to poke Avon, but Ria pulls him away with a glare.

"What can I say? I need my beauty rest."

"Oh we know, Victoria," says another young man. "Trust me when I say you need as much beauty rest as you can get."

Ria rolls her eyes, and Hunter's features settle into a frown as he crosses his arms.

"I hope you'll forgive my appearance, Leflin," Ria says. "Not all of us can be as pretty as you, after all."

Leflin Utgard is also nineteen, with a tall and lean build. His eyes are bright blue, and his messy red hair reaches his neck. He wears a wool sleeveless brown shirt and black pants, and on his shoulder is a tattoo of a blue raven. He bows low and mimes tipping a hat.

"Fear not, young Victoria! I know your burning desire for me is unbearable, so I will lower my standards and allow you the chance to treat me to an impossibly expensive meal."

"I'm swooning," Ria says in a monotone voice. "I may faint from sheer joy."

"You may need to rescind that offer, Leflin," Hunter says and pats Ria on the head. She glares at him. "We can't have Ria fainting, now can we? Apolla wouldn't be happy."

"I suppose you're right." Leflin straightens up with a put upon sigh. "You have no choice but to admire me from a distance, Victoria."

"How will I manage?"

"How indeed." Leflin bends down so he is eye to eye with Avon. "Now, the true reason I came over was to examine the insect you found. Razi mentioned it was a Bard Beetle. I wasn't aware that they were native to this area."

"They're not, otherwise, I would have just released him." Ria pulls the beetle back when Leflin tries to touch him. "I've no idea what he's doing so close to the ocean. Whoever brought him here must have smuggled him in. He wouldn't have made it past customs, otherwise."

"Why not?" Hunter asks. He tries humming, and Avon copies him. "He seems cool to me."

"Bard Beetles are insatiable," Leflin explains, "and they'll eat almost anything. When in a choir, they can devour a buck in under thirty minutes. The damage they do to forests they aren't native to is severe. They need the right kind of predator to keep them in check."

"One beetle by themselves won't cause trouble," Ria adds, "but if Avon was a female, he could have been gravid without anyone knowing and we would have had a problem. So just to be safe, Bard Beetles are illegal in Fiore."

"So you found an illegal beetle that could potentially be very harmful to our ecosystem and instead of reporting it to the proper authority, you decide to keep it as a pet?" Hunter asks.

"I barely found him this morning. You don't know if I was going to report him later," Ria defends herself. Hunter and Leflin both stare at her, and she huffs. "Alright. I had no intention of doing so, but I still don't appreciate you having so little faith in me. Look, if I thought Avon would be evaluated and treated humanely, I would have turned him over. But he's an insect. He's seen as a pest. He'll be euthanized without a second thought. I'll at least be able to give him a good life."

"Will you get in trouble if anyone finds out you have him?" Hunter asks.

"For one beetle? At worst, I'll get a fine, and Avon will be taken away."

"It's simple then," Leflin says. "We just have to hide that he's a little fugitive, and no one will be the wiser. It's not like the everyday person can recognize a Bard Beetle from any other insect."

"Exactly," Ria smiles.

"I don't mind," says Hunter, "but if at any point he starts being an issue, you should at least tell Ajax."

"You won't be a problem at all, now will you?" Ria asks Avon. He chirps, and she scratches his stomach. "That's what I thought. Now that that's settled, there was something I wanted to ask you two today."

Leflin and Hunter trade glances before asking simultaneously, "what is it?"

"How do you feel about snakes?"

* * *

Ajax looks over Craish's answers, humming occasionally in a way that doesn't tell the young man what he thinks of them. Finally, he sets the paper down, and Craish gives him a wide smile.

"Everything looks good so far, I only have one question left for you. This one may even be the most important. Remember to answer honestly."

'What is it?' Craish asks.

"What is your opinion on redemption?"

Craish thinks, carefully writing out his answer.

'It depends on the circumstances. For example, a petty thief could redeem themselves, but someone who has done something heinous surely can not.'

"I see." Ajax hums again. "What if someone did something heinous for a reason?"

'What do you mean? What reason could they have other than their own wickedness?'

"Let me ask you this: if you could save the lives of ten people by killing one person, would you?"

Craish looks taken aback and frowns, furiously writing in his pocketbook.

'No. I would find a way to save them all.'

"That doesn't answer my question."

'Yes, it does.'

"Let me rephrase it; let's say to save the people you loved, you had no choice but to kill a stranger- an innocent person. Would you?'

With narrowed eyes and a frown, Craish starts writing, almost stabbing through the paper of his notebook. He pauses, shakes his head, and scratches out what he wrote before restarting.

'I would save them all. Lives are NOT to be traded.'

Ajax can't help but burst into laughter. He notices Craish's disgruntled look and smiles sheepishly.

"I apologize. I wasn't making fun of you. Your response just reminded me of an old friend of mine," Ajax says. "I'm sure you'll make quite the journey in our guild. I hope you're able to keep that determination as you grow with us. Most, if not all of the members should be arriving soon. Ria will be happy to introduce you to everyone. Come back later, and I'll have my other daughter place your guild mark."

He stands and shakes Craish's hand with a crooked grin on his face. "Welcome to Phoenix Refuge."

* * *

**Credits (In Order of Appearance):**

**Bors Gaheris: Torsa**

**Hunter Jurgen Damek: LeNinja365**

**Leflin Utgard: Malfel**

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed. There's one more chapter of character introductions, then we'll begin the first mini-arc! Yay!**

**Also, thank you to those who left reviews. They made me happy to read. I'd like to respond to them, but I feel strange doing so for some reason. Would you all like responses? If so, would you prefer them here in the notes or PMs? **

**I'll try it out here first. Please let me know if this feels weird.**

* * *

**Malfel: ****Thank you! I'm glad you liked everyone! I hope you liked the way I introduced Leflin as well.**

**MaMcMu: ****Thank you for reading! I hope I continue to write Razi acceptably. Feel free to correct me if I misinterpreted him somehow.**

**The Restless Drifter: ****I'm happy Henry's introduction was okay. I was pretty worried about it. Hopefully, this chapter gave you a bit more insight into the previously introduced OCs. I do proofread to the best of my abilities, but I'm bound to miss something. I'll have to go back and see what I can fix. **

**Torsa:** **Yes, without Catie, the guild and Ajax would be in rough shape. I'm glad my joke landed. I don't see myself as a funny person, so I'm happy it made you laugh. I hope I wrote Bors the way you imagined. Please let me know if he seems off!**

* * *

**That's all for today! The next chapter should be within the next two weeks!**


	5. The Start

**Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_New beginning again_

_A bit closer_

_New beginning again_

_A little bit closer_

_New beginning again_

_A bit closer to the end_

_~ Starter - Cardigan ~_

* * *

_Chapter Three: The Start_

* * *

_~March 18th, x800~_

A piercing whistle fills the air as the train signals its last call for passengers to board. A few stragglers rush to make the deadline, and as the train begins to pull away, the station in Barberry is left empty. Now that the coast is clear, a blue-haired young man no older than sixteen whistles to himself as he carries a handful of flyers and a stapler. His eyes are a deep blue, and he wears a large and flowing blue, gold-trimmed coat over a simple white shirt and baggy trousers. A blue belt sits on his waist, and a scarf loosely wraps around his neck with its ends trailing behind him down to his knees. He's also barefoot.

H chooses a support beam in the middle of the station, and staples a purple and gold flyer with gusto, using twenty more staplers than necessary. Once he's done, he stands back to admire his work with a smirk. The upside-down placement adds a nice touch, in his opinion. He takes another flyer, rolls it up, and sticks it in a nearby bush so that only the very top can be seen. Another one he simply releases into the wind and salutes it as it flies away; it has an important mission, after all.

For the past three days, he's been coming to the station between departure times and leaving behind his flyers in places where people can find them only after taking a second glance. So far, no one has caught him doing it either.

Now he only has one flyer left and scans the area for the perfect spot. This one needs someplace special.

An idea crosses his mind and his face breaks into a grin. Laughing to himself, he floats to the top of the station and hovers right below the ceiling. He attaches his last flyer, going overboard with the staples once more so the paper won't end up falling anytime soon. He's especially proud of this one. All it says is "Phoenix! Refuge! Join?"

With a chuckle, he lowers himself to the ground. He can just picture the look on the random stranger who the flyer happens to fall on. He hopes he's around to see it!

"What are you doing?" Asks a young woman, and he turns to face her with the smirk still on his face.

She's seventeen, with short light blonde hair. Her fringe falls over her left eye, which is blue, and her green right eye stares at the young man in suspicion. With pale skin and a flat chest, she wears a black sleeveless combat dress marked with red stripes, a pair of fingerless black gloves, and matching black combat boots.

The young man holds out his hands, the smirk on his face only widening.

"I'm not doing anything, as you can see."

"Then what _were_ you doing, Blue? It wouldn't have anything to do with this, now would it?" She holds up one of his flyers.

He tries not to look too proud, but he's certain he fails.

"I'm only trying to draw attention to our guild, Silver. How else are we supposed to get more members?"

"How is this going to help?" She looks at the flyer as if it was covered in slime. "You just wrote 'PR' on it! No one's gonna know what that means! And why did you use so much glitter?"

"If you have a problem, take it up with Ajax," Blue says. "He's the one who asked me to make them."

Silver's expression could cut steel. "You and I both know he expected you to put effort into them."

"Excuse you." Blue feigns offense. "I put my heart and soul into those flyers, and I've strategically positioned them with the utmost care."

"I found this one taped to a trash can."

"Exactly! Whoever found that one would be throwing trash away. Do you want a litterer joining our guild? Because I certainly don't."

Silver feels a pounding in her temple and flexes her hands in frustration. She takes a few deep breaths. He's always pulling stunts like this and trying to get under her skin, but she won't let him get the best of her today. She scrunches up his flyer into a ball and shoves it into his chest. Counting back from ten in her head, she turns on her heel to begin walking away.

Blue waits until she's about twenty feet away before throwing the scrunched up flyer at her. It bounces off her head with an audible crunch. She spins to face him with fury in her eyes. He smirks and raises a brow at her.

"That's it!" She says. "Get ready to meet your maker, Asshole!"

* * *

After a flurry of further paperwork, and armed with a looseleaf pamphlet with more information than he believes he will need, Craish steps out of Ajax's office and scans the room for Ria. He makes eye contact with her between the backs of Leflin and Hunter, and she breaks away from their conversation with a smile.

"So you're a person after all," she says. "I thought you might just be a suit of sentient armor." Her eyes land on the papers in his hand, and her smile grows. "Dad accepted you, then? I was certain he would. Congratulations!"

Craish returns her smile, his blue eyes sparkling, and he reaches for his pocketbook.

'Thank you,' he writes. 'I look forward to my future here.'

"You're a new member, then?" Leflin interjects himself, Hunter close behind. Ria introduces everyone, and Hunter and Craish exchange handshakes.

"We haven't had anyone join in quite a while," Leflin says. "Do you communicate in writing by choice or are you incapable of vocalizing?"

Craish points to his throat and shakes his head.

"I see. Have you always been mute, or is it the result of an injury?"

"You're being rude," says Hunter. "Give him a chance to settle in before you bombard him."

"I'm sure Craish will be happy to let you interrogate him as much as you want later, Leflin," Ria steps in before the two can start arguing, "but let me introduce him to everyone first. Come on, we'll start with Apolla."

Leflin laughs. "Of course you will."

Ria shoots him a glare. "Don't start with that again. I've already told you that you have the wrong idea."

"Whatever you say, Victoria."

"Don't take too long," Hunter says. "We still need to discuss the details for tomorrow."

"Alright."

Craish follows Ria to the far side of the room, where an oak door is labeled "infirmary."

Ria doesn't bother knocking, but she does hesitate; she takes a deep breath and makes a brief attempt to smooth down her hair. She pulls her shoulder's back and pushes open the door.

"Apolla! I've brought a new member!"

The sound of an explosion greets them. The door at the opposite end of the infirmary opens, and a coughing woman in her late twenties emerges, wafting purple smoke from her face.

"Victoria," she says hoarsely, "how many times must I remind you not to barge in like this."

Her eyes are golden, the same color as her short, curly hair, and they pair nicely with her tan skin. She's lean and tall, taller than Craish even, and she wears a white tunic with elbow-length flared sleeves and a pair of high heeled sandals.

"Sorry. I didn't realize you were working."

Apolla just shakes her head then turns her attention to Craish.

"Who do we have here then?"

Ria introduces him, and Craish gives a half bow to the woman. The corners of Apolla's lips twitch as she raises an eyebrow at him.

"So you're one of those chivalrous types? I suppose one more won't hurt. Why don't you have a seat? I'll be right back."

Craish rigidly rests on one of the beds, and Ria plops down beside him with a bit of a bounce, patting Avon's back as he squeaks.

"Don't drink what she gives you." Ria stage whispers. "It's poison."

"I can hear you!" Apolla yells, and Ria bites her palm to extinguish a giggle. She's molded her face in a neutral expression by the time Apolla returns, and the woman shoots Ria an unimpressed look.

"Don't let the pretty face fool you," Apolla says. "Victoria is a devil in disguise. If you're not careful, she'll lead you down the path of misery."

"Did you just call me pretty?" Ria's eyes glimmer.

"I called you a devil." Apolla hands Craish a flask containing a steaming purple liquid then scoops Avon off the floor. The beetle squirms, but seems to accept Apolla's hold. "And how many times do I have to ask you not to bring pets here? It's unsanitary."

Craish takes a sniff of the flask. It smells strongly of cinnamon and sage, and he starts to sneeze.

"It's not like you're performing surgery." Ria shrugs. "Besides, isn't Avon adorable?"

The sneezing fit over, Craish holds the flask up to the light. Flecks of gold reflect at him.

"Cute or not, he's a breeding ground for germs," Apolla says, even as she starts scratching Avon where his head connects to his abdomen. The beetle trills like a flute.

Deeming the liquid safe enough, Craish downs it in one go. Immediately he starts coughing as parts of his body glow blue. It tastes like pine needles and vinegar.

Ria tries patting Craish on the back, but due to his bulky armor, the gesture is useless. As he continues trying to expel his lungs, Apolla writes down all the places his body glows. Avon is cradled in the crook of her elbow.

The light dies, and his cough stops as suddenly as it started, though Craish can still feel a tickle in his throat.

"You seem to be in excellent health, though it seems you slept on your neck the wrong way. I'm assuming you were forced to rest in a seated position; my best guess is you spent the night on the train." She drops Avon onto Ria's lap. "If you plan on doing that in the future, I recommend investing in a neck pillow. Now hold still."

Before Craish can process what is happening, Apolla has gripped the sides of his head. Golden light emits from her palms, and warmth floods his body.

"Deep breath," Apolla instructs.

Craish inhales, and as he lets the breath go, she snaps his neck to the side. A sharp pain shoots down his spine, but it's gone before he can really feel it. The soreness he'd felt in his neck all day has fled with it.

"You should be good for the rest of the day, but if the pain returns tomorrow, come see me, and I'll give you a potion."

"I wouldn't let Apolla put her hands on you like that again, Craish," Ria says. "She could easily snap your neck."

With a roll of her eyes, Apolla turns to rebuke Ria's claim but pauses. Her eyes narrow. She bends down until she and Ria are face to face, and reaches out, her fingers brushing the hair out of Ria's forehead. While her face remains impassive, Craish notices a red flush on Ria's ears and the back of her neck. She closes her eyes as Apolla's face creeps closer to hers, and her breath hitches when Apolla presses their foreheads together.

"Just as I thought," Apolla mumbles. She pulls away from Ria with a frown. "You've got a fever. I'll get you something to bring it down. Wait here."

Short of breath, Ria watches Apolla go back to her office with the intensity of a lion stalking its prey. There's a moment when Craish is certain her eyes turn a bright red, but it passes so quickly, he's sure he's imagined it.

The cheerful chirps from Avon bring Ria out of her daze. Her whole face turns red as she realizes what Craish just witnessed, and she snaps her head towards the boy, who is indeed staring at her.

"What?" She asks.

Before he can say anything, a crash sounds from the main hall of the guild, followed closely by someone's laughter.

"GET BACK HERE BLUE OR SO HELP ME-"

"YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST!"

"Sounds like Silver and Blue are in." Ria sighs, glad for the distraction.

"STOP!" What sounds like Hunter yells. "YOU'RE GOING TO KNOCK OVER THE F-"

The shattering of dishes and the mournful cry of Razi cuts off the rest of his sentence. Ria winces.

"We'll just wait here for things to cool down, and then I'll introduce you to them," she says.

'Shouldn't we check if everyone is okay?' Craish asks.

"That won't be necessary. Dad should be out to handle it in a second."

"WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE?" Ajax's voice booms, proving her right.

"Speak of the devil," she mumbles. "Honestly, it might be best to just avoid going out there for at least an hour. I don't want to get involved with the cleanup. We need to find a way to sneak out."

"You're not leaving without drinking this," Apolla says as she reappears from her office with another flask. The liquid in this one is a deep green that makes Craish think of fir trees.

Ria moans, but after the older woman gives her a stern look, she swallows the potion in one gulp. She gags.

"Why does it taste like overripe grapes?" She asks.

Apolla chuckles and pats Ria on the head.

"I made it that way on purpose, as payback for that smart mouth of yours. Now come along; you can use my window to slip out unnoticed."

As Craish finds himself holding onto Avon while Apolla helps Ria out her office window, the distant sound of Ajax's scolding mixing with the beetle's humming, he is struck with a revelation; after this moment- after today- after joining this guild and meeting these people, his life will never be the same.

He's chosen a new path for himself, and as Ria reaches back into the window to retrieve Avon from him, and she smiles up at him with the sun reflecting off her eyes, he's certain he's made the right decision.

* * *

Candlelight casts shadows over Desdemona's face as she gazes at herself in her mirror. Only a blurry visage stares back at her. All she can make out is her black hair. Not even the color of her eyes shine through.

Where they blue or brown? Perhaps green?

She doesn't remember.

Behind her, her clock chimes thrice, and she sets her mirror down on her vanity.

The time has come.

She steps into her garden and isn't surprised to see Adrastus waiting for her with a grin as sharp as jagged glass. He grabs her hand, and lightly presses his lips to her skin.

"Have you placed all your pieces, my love?" He asks.

"I have."

"Do you have all your plans ready to be set into motion?"

"I do."

"Do you believe you have a chance of beating me this time?"

"Not just a chance." Desdemona sneers at him. "I _am_ going to beat you."

Of course, he only laughs at her.

"You know that's what I love to hear." He clasps their hands together and golden sparks surround them. The sparks meld into their skin, creating marks of chains circling down their arms and chests. Once the magic is settled, she pulls away and watches Adrastus fade from her sight.

"Finally!" His voice echoes behind him. "Let the game begin!"

* * *

**Credits (In Order of Appearance):**

**Blue: SimpleStories24**

**Silver Aura: Ally Nicole Rose**

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**Review Responses:**

**SimpleStories24: I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm assuming your guess was correct! I hope you liked Blue's intro!**

**Malfel: Thank you! I'm glad Leflin was up to standard!**

**MaMcMu: Of course my dude! Once everyone starts going on missions, their magic will be showcased!**

**Torsa: Thank you for pointing out the repetition! I've gone back and fixed it. I'm glad you liked Bors intro! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**

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**The next chapter is mostly written, so I'm planning to have it up in about a week! Happy Holidays everyone!**


	6. The Girl

**Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_Step by step I come closer to reaching the top_

_Every step must be placed so that I don't fall off_

_Looking down to see about how much higher I am_

_Another cool wind comes through, brushes my skin_

_~The Climb - No Doubt~_

* * *

_Chapter Four: The Girl_

* * *

_~March 18th, x800~_

Dead leaves crunch beneath their feet as Evander and Catie hike up the Obsidian Mountain. A twig snaps, and a rabbit darts in and out of view for a second, but otherwise, it's silent, the way Catie likes it when in nature.

Evander, however, has never handled silence with grace.

"It's been a while since we've hung out by ourselves," he says, and she tries not to sigh.

"I've been busy," she says. "It's hard work keeping the guild afloat, especially since we're so small; it's a miracle we get any requests at all. If it wasn't for Dad's connections, we would have had to shut down a while ago."

Evander gives a low whistle, the sound echoed by a bird in the trees.

"We need more exposure," he says.

Catie hums in agreement. "It's a shame the Grand Magic Games haven't been revived. I'd like to think we'd make it past the preliminaries. That would give us a bit of a boost."

"Blue was making a bunch of flyers the other day. Maybe we'll get someone."

"Didn't he make those as a joke?"

"Mostly, yeah. Still, I think they'd work on someone curious or earnest."

"Maybe." Catie allows herself to sigh this time. "What we need is to be able to take S-class missions. That would help immensely."

"Have you talked to Dad about some of us taking the exam?"

"I tried, but he kept changing the subject. I'm assuming that means he has a plan he doesn't want to share with me."

"Yikes. I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I."

The two of them settle into silence once more, and Catie breathes in the smoky scent of the mountain air. It's nice, like a fireplace, similar to the smell Evander and Ajax always carry, and Ria sometimes. It's the smell of home, and she can't help but smile.

Evander bumps into her, gently, playfully, and she bumps him back.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asks.

"They're a bit more expensive than that." She teases. He laughs, just a short little chuckle, before settling into a carefully neutral expression. Catie's mood drops as she guesses what he's going to bring up.

"Have you gotten any more letters, recently?" He asks.

"You sure know how to ruin the mood, don't you Evander?"

"It's not my fault you've been avoiding me," he says. "Don't think I didn't notice."

"I know you noticed. I was trying to make it very clear that I didn't want to talk about it." Catie tries to put some distance between them, but Evander's legs are longer than hers now, and he closes the gap in an instant.

"I think it'd be good closure."

"Evander-"

"I mean, I know they suck, and they're not your real family, because we're your real family-"

"Evander!"

"But your sister at least seems to be trying even if the rest of them aren't. You should give her a chance-"

"EVANDER! ENOUGH!" Catie's voice is carried and enhanced by the wind swirling around her. "I told you, I don't want to talk about it!"

"I'm trying to help you! You can't just keep ignor-"

A roar interrupts Evander's ranting as a wyvern charges towards them.

"Shit!" They're arguing must have attracted it.

"Get back Evander!" Catie settles down into a crouch. "I'll handle this!"

He opens his mouth in a way she knows means he's about to argue, but she throws a pointed look at his bare, scarred hands. He clenches them closed and shuts his mouth. With a nod, Evander ducks behind a tree.

Catie breathes deep. Her body glows blue with the charge the oxygen gives her. She holds it, letting the wyvern move closer, and when it's in arms reach, she springs.

"Wind Magic: Hermes' Heels!"

Tiny whirlwinds of air float beneath her feet, propelling her forward. The wyvern swipes its clawed hand, and she darts out of reach.

"Wind Magic: Twin Blades!" She crosses her arms over her chest and throws them away from her. Twin gusts of air strike against the wyvern, and it roars as thin gashes appear on it's back.

It swings its tail and slams her into a tree. The impact knocks the air from her lungs, and Catie slumps to the ground. She hisses but forces herself to ignore the pain. She takes a breath, then another, and jumps to her feet. Once more, she calls on Hermes' Heels.

The wyvern roars again and the sound shakes the trees and causes birds to fly away.

Catie charges it head-on but doesn't dodge the swipe of its claw. Instead, she latches onto its forearm. It tries to shake her loose, and when that doesn't work, bring her to its mouth. She takes the opportunity to vault onto its face.

"Wind Magic: Boreas Breath!" She shouts and blows into its eyes. Icy air blinds the Wyvern. It screeches and flings her from its face. She bangs into a tree again, but Catie is ready for the impact this time and can handle it with minimal pain.

She jumps to her feet. Another deep breath; she charges once more.

The wyvern flaps its wings, almost batting Catie away, but she ducks beneath them. Using Hermes Heels, she rockets into the air behind it.

She begins to twirl, faster and faster, air swirling around her until she is nothing but a blur. "Wind Magic: Tornado!" Still spinning, she drops. With her whole body, she slams into the wyvern's head, and with a crack, it falls unconscious.

Catie stands on top of its head, panting. Evander emerges from behind his tree. His eyes scan over Catie, taking in her torn shirt and dirt-stained pants.

"You ok?" He asks.

"Yes," she says, jumping to the ground. "Let's get out of here before it wakes up."

They run. Catie winces as the ground begins to sharply incline. She can feel the bruises blooming on her ribs, picturing the ugly yellow they've no doubt turned her skin. She glances over at Evander; his eyes are clouded over, his jaw clenched and his nails digging into his palm. His gaze meets Catie's and she forces herself to smile at him. His lips mimic hers, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. Up ahead, light shines down into a clearing.

They burst into it, only to come face to face with another wyvern.

"Dammit."

"Evander-"

"I know!" He shouts already ducking behind the trees.

The wyvern bares its teeth and launches towards them while Catie sucks in as much air as she can, ignoring her protesting ribs. She doesn't exhale, and using Hermes Heels again, she jumps onto the wyvern's head and hangs onto its horns. The wyvern thrashes about, and Catie nearly loses her grip as her body bangs against its head. Her lungs beg for release, but somehow, she manages to hold tight.

Digging her heels into the scales on its neck, Catie lays herself flush against the wyvern's head.

"Wind Magic: Bullet Air!" She blows as hard as she can into the back of the beasts head. With a final cry, it slams into the ground and Catie loses her grip. She tumbles to the floor, yelping as her body rolls into a rock.

Evander runs to her, but she waves off his concern.

"Let's keep moving," she says pulling herself up.

"You don't have to hold back against them, you know?" Evander prods the cut on her neck. "Ria isn't here. One quick Wind Slicer to the neck, and we'd be done with them."

"I don't care." Catie hisses and shoves his hand away. "I'm not gonna go around killing them. We're the ones who invaded their territory after all."

"Fine. Let's just hope we don't run into anything else."

Just as Evander finishes speaking, they stumble upon yet another wyvern.

"Oh for fuck's sake," he sighs. "It's gonna take us all day just to get to the top isn't it?"

"Looks like it. Now, stand back." Catie rushes off and Evander is once again forced to watch her fight alone.

* * *

By the time they reach the top of the Obsidian Mountain, the sun is beginning to set, and the cold is settling in. Up so high, the landscape is barren, with only black, jagged rocks insight. They're not even at the peak yet, with half a mile to go, but Catie is exhausted. She collapses on the ground once they're out of the woods. It's surprisingly warm to the touch.

"We should have brought Ria with us," she says, her eyes closed. "She would have known how to avoid those things."

"Hindsight is 20/20, I guess." Evander plops down beside her.

"We can't go back down in the dark." Catie sits up, rubbing her tender sides. "After we get to the peak, we'll have to camp for the night. Do you see anything we could use as firewood?"

Evander peers around and sees smoke rising from the inside of a cave.

"Looks like we're not the only ones up here," he says.

"What?" Catie looks, also spotting the smoke. "Odd." She pulls herself to her feet with a groan. "Let's go investigate it."

"Fine," Evander says as he helps her stand, "but if we get kidnapped and tortured, I'm blaming you."

They approach the cave with caution, Catie taking the lead despite her injuries and Evander's protests. Inside, an old man with charcoal eyes and silver hair sits at a fire, grilling something that smells heavenly. He spots the two of them and smiles.

"Well hello," he says. "I was wondering what was agitating all the animals today. You made it just in time for supper; sit down, and I'll serve you."

Catie and Evander glance at each other before shrugging and sitting around the man's fire. He gives them both bowls and plates of whatever it was he was cooking. Evander's mouth waters and Catie's stomach growls. They wolf down the food without ceremony, and the man chuckles.

"That's normally how people react after taking the hard way up. Why didn't you use the actual path up the mountain? It has warding magic against the animals."

Catie glares at Evander, and he swallows.

"We were in a hurry. I thought it'd be faster."

The man shakes his head, twisting his beard. "Only if you know the mountain like the back of your hand. Now, the name's Cassian. Who are you?"

"I'm Evander Cinerus, and this is my sister, Catrina."

"I go by Catie, mostly."

"Nice to meet you both." There's a distant roar outside and Cassian tuts. "You irritated them quite a bit. It's far too dangerous to try going down the mountain at this time, especially since you riled half the forest up. You're welcome to stay with me for the night. It's not much, but I do have spare sleeping bags."

"Good enough for me," Evander says, and Catie agrees.

The three finish their meal, making small talk, then Cassian unrolls the sleeping bags for them. Catie is the first to settle down; she falls asleep almost as soon as her head hits the ground. Evander runs his fingers through her hair, lightly tracing the bruise on her temple.

"She sure is tired," Cassian says. "I wouldn't expect it seeing as there were two of you to fight."

Evander flinches slightly, but Cassian pretends not to see it.

"I can tell you're not quite ready to lie down for the night, so why don't you keep an old man company for a bit." He motions towards the mouth of the cave. Evander follows him outside, and they sit on a large rock. Without the sun, Evander can see hairline cracks of light in the ground.

Cassian lights a pipe. He blows intricate smoke rings that intertwine with each other. It's almost like they're dancing. The way the smoke curls into the sky is hypnotic and Evander follows it with his eyes. The stars are so much more prominent here.

"Tell me, young man, what brought you two up the mountain?"

Evander rubs his arms, the scarred skin bumpy beneath his fingers.

"I need a pair of volcanic lacrima," he says.

"Whatever for?"

He thinks of lying, but Cassian's tone is casual, as if he was asking for the time or about the weather. It's oddly comforting.

"I've been struggling with my magic since I was young," he finds himself saying. "I basically can't use it at all, so a family friend made me a pair of gauntlets that allow me to control it. I busted them the other day on a mission when I landed wrong, and I need to replace the lacrima; this is the only place to find them."

"Interesting." The man huffs on his pipe. "You say you can't use your magic at all? Any reason why?"

"...No. Not really."

"You've got to work on your lying." Cassian chuckles. "You're eyes are too honest. Keep the reason for yourself if you'd like. What type of magic do you use, anyway?"

"I'm a fire mage." Evander shrugs. "Nothing special."

"Lucky for you, completely ordinary fire mage, I'm also a fire user." Cassian demonstrates by lighting his finger on fire. "And I knew someone with a similar problem as yours when I was younger."

"Really?"

"Yup. I can't say it was exactly the same, but I do have a bit of experience with this sort of thing. If you'd like, I could probably get you back to using your magic as easily as blinking."

Evander lights up for a second, the possibilities flying through his mind.

But then he remembers how he felt that awful day, the way the fire flared through his veins. He looks down at his scars and draws back into himself.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think it's for the best if I just use my gauntlets."

Cassian takes a final drag of his pipe and shrugs.

"Suit yourself. All I know is that your gonna keep running into problems, and you'll find yourself more and more unable to help those you want to." He puts out his pipe. "It's getting late. Let's get some shut-eye."

Evander settles down into his sleeping bag next to Catie. The fire shines on her face, and he notices the cut on the corner of her mouth for the first time. He turns his back on her, and after a while, he falls asleep.

* * *

He dreams of fire. Of burning. Of destroying everything and everyone around him, and the pure elation he feels makes him want to burn even more. He breathes in smoke and ash and has never felt more alive. This is what he was born for. This is his destiny.

He sees a woman, familiar yet like no one he's ever seen before. Long black hair whips around her face and icy blue eyes plead with him.

"Cyrus," she says, reaching for him.

He sends his flames to envelope her.

* * *

He wakes to Catie poking him in the face.

"Rise and shine, Ev. If we hurry we might make it back in time to help, Ria. Cassian is going to show us a safe way down."

Slowly, Evander sits up and digs his fingers into the earth. It settles him. He doesn't remember his dream, but this isn't the first time he's awoken feeling so lost. It's been happening more and more recently.

"Are you okay?" Catie asks. She lays her hand flat on his forehead. "You're warmer than usual."

"Yeah." Evander swallows. "Just tired."

Catie squints like she doesn't believe him but doesn't push him for answers.

"Alright," she says. "Come out when you're ready. Cassian made breakfast."

Once his heart rate is under control, Evander joins the two, surprised to see the vast amount of food cooking before him.

"How'd you get all this?" He asks.

"I've lived a long life, boy. I've learned much throughout my tenure. Catch." Cassian throws a small bag at him.

Evander snatches it out of the air and peers inside.

"Woah. Where'd you get them from?" He asks, pulling out the black lacrima. They're pleasantly warm, and a soft red glow emits from their center.

"They're all over the place up here. The only reason they aren't available at the market is because of how hard it is for strangers to make it up the mountain. If you break them again, just come and find me. Now sit down and eat so I can get the two of you out of my hair. I've got chores to do today."

Evander sits with Catie and Cassian around the fire, enjoying his filling breakfast.

* * *

Later, Cassian leads them partway down the mountain, stopping when they reach the treeline.

"This as far as I take you. Keep going south and you should be able to make it back in about five hours. Don't stray off the path, and you'll be fine."

"Thanks for all your help, Cassian." Catie shakes his hand. "If you ever need anything, or find yourself down in Barberry, feel free to call on the Phoenix Refuge guild."

"Thank you, young lady. Good luck with your mission."

"Really, though. You're a lifesaver." Evander shakes his hand as well. "Is there anything we can do for you before we go?"

Cassian grunts and waves him off. "Just think about my offer. That's all the thanks I need." Cassian turns away and starts heading back up. "Remember! Stay on the path!"

"What was he talking about?" Catie asks once he's gone.

Evander shrugs. "He wanted to pay me to help him work on something. I told him I probably wasn't the best person for the job, but I'd see if I could find someone."

"Oh. Let me know if I can help with that."

"Will do. Let's get going."

The two begin the trek down the mountain in silence. Evander doesn't know why he lied to Catie. Maybe because she'd encourage him to take Cassian up on his offer, and maybe he should. He can't say he doesn't miss being able to have full control over his magic. Now that he has the lacrima though, he'll be able to use his gauntlets again. That's good enough for him.

"What's that?" Catie asks, breaking Evander out of his thoughts. He follows the line of sight from where Catie's finger is pointing and sees a lump in the woods off the path.

"I don't know. I can't tell from here." Evander steps towards it. "Should we check it out."

"...Cassian warned us to stay on the path."

"It's not that far off it though." Evander takes another step towards the lump. "How about you stay here so I don't get lost, and I'll go check what it is."

Catie frowns.

"Maybe I should be the one to check what it is. What if it attacks you?"

Evander thinks. He picks up a rock by his foot and tosses it in the air a couple of times before he chucks it at the lump. The rock bounces off of it with a thunk, but the thing remains motionless.

"If it was, I think it would have charged us by now."

"Why are you so reckless?" Catie asks, punching Evander in the shoulder. "What if it tried to kill us because of you?"

"But it didn't."

"You know what? Fine! Go see what it is! If it kills you, that's just natural selection working it's magic!"

"Alright! I'll be right back!" Evander runs towards the shape before Catie can stop him. He's surprised to find that it's a lot farther away then he realized.

_That must be why Cassian warned us to stay on the path,_ he thinks. _There must be some kind of depth magic in the woods. _

As he approaches the shape, he begins to recognize what it is: a person, more specifically a girl, with long ebony hair, pale skin, and more blood than he thought was even possible for a human to have to surround her. Panic floods him.

"Catie!" He calls back, his voice cracking at the end.

"What's wrong?"

"...I think I just found a dead body!

"WHAT?" Forgetting Cassian's warning, Catie runs towards Evander and the girl. She stares for a second, eyes as wide as saucers.

"She's still breathing."

"Are you sure?" Evander bends beside the girl, his fingers flitting over her mouth. Sure enough, he feels the warmth of her breath. "Okay. Okay. O.K. What do we do?"

"She needs medical attention." Catie makes as if to touch the girl, but pulls back. "We need to get her to Apolla."

"How? Is it even safe to move her? What if we paralyze her or something?"

"Well, we can't just leave her here! She'll die!" Catie snaps. "Where did all this blood even come from? I can't find where she's bleeding."

Evander also examines the girl and can't find any open wounds. He touches her skin, and it's cold as ice. He's not surprised; she's wearing what might have once been a dress or a robe but is now nothing but a shredded rag. He takes off his jacket and as carefully as he can, bundles her up with it.

"Help me get her on my back."

Together they manage to maneuver the girl onto Evander, her arms and legs dangly loosely of his shoulders and sides. They tie her to him with the jacket, making her as secure as they possibly can. When they turn to make it back towards the path, they find that the trees have blocked it from their sight.

"The warding magic must work on anything outside the path and not just the wildlife," Catie says. "We'll have to go through the woods again."

They've also lost which way is south, but following the downward slope of the mountain is easy enough.

As they start heading down, Catie walks behind in case the girl slips or the jacket comes undone. Evander is mindful of every step and tries to avoid any bumps in the road. The last thing they need is for him to stumble. Both of them keep an ear out for the sound of wyverns, or any other forest creature that could trouble them, but it's oddly quiet. Faintly, Evander can feel the girl's heartbeat against his back. However, after what must be an hour's hike, it fades.

Soon after, it stops.

* * *

**It's been less than a week, and I'm posting! The song at the top was almost Climb Every Mountain from the Sound of Music. I was so tempted. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope it was nice. If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you had a good, normal day. **

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**Review Responses:**

**Malfel: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I have plans for Leflin and Blue I think you'll enjoy in the future!**

**SimpleStories24: Yay! I'm happy you liked ****Blue's intro! He's very fun to write! Feel free to PM me any suggestions!**

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**The next chapter is again mostly written, but I'm going to be pretty busy at work this week. If I can, I'll have it posted sooner rather than later. Expect it within the next two weeks.**

**In the meantime, you can read the other story I've written! It's a collection of connected fairy tale AUs involving the canon characters.**

**Thank you for reading!**


	7. The Scattered

_Under pressure_

_Under pressure_

_This is far too much to take_

_I'm afraid I might break under pressure_

_Under pressure_

_~Under Pressure - Leslie Odom Jr.~_

* * *

_Chapter Five: The Scattered_

* * *

_~March 19th, x800~_

The tree that grows in the center of the guild is of a kind none of the members have ever seen before; it's leaves are golden and star-shaped, its black trunk is actually three intertwined, and in the spring it grows orange flowers that smell of vanilla. Leflin has made it his personal mission to identify it, but so far hasn't had any luck. Everyone has taken to calling it the Guild Tree in the meantime.

Ria leans against it now, tapping her foot with her arms crossed as Avon marches around her ankles dutifully. At a nearby table, Hunter and Craish sit, watching the beetle try to climb up Ria's legs only to topple onto his back. Avon struggles to right himself, so Hunter stands to flip him over, and the beetle whistles his thanks before going back to his march.

With a sigh, Hunter checks the time and leans beside Ria.

"We just missed another train," he says. "How long are we going to wait for them?"

"They promised to come," she says. "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Craish waves to catch their attention and holds up his pocketbook.

'Where did they go?' It reads. Ria turns away and scowls while Hunter shrugs.

"They didn't tell anyone?" Leflin asks as he joins the three. He scoops Avon off the floor, ignoring his squeak of alarm. "Maybe they eloped."

Ria gags. "Why would you even say something like that? They're siblings!"

"Not by blood," Leflin says, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Haven't you wondered why they spend so much time together? Or seen the way they look at each other? What do they do when they're all alone, I wonder."

"Ew! Stop! Their relationship is purely platonic, you heathen!"

Leflin laughs as Ria snatches Avon from him. She looks suitably traumatized for his taste.

"You know he's just trying to mess with you," Hunter says as he pats her on the head. Ria glares at him, and he backs away with his hands raised.

"Where are you guys going, anyway?" Blue asks, trying to balance a broom on his nose. Across the room, Silver looks ready to shout, but takes a breath and goes back to her own cleaning, though everyone can hear her mumbling curses.

"To Jessamine town. They have a nature preserve there and were having some trouble with an endangered group of snakes. I don't know the full details yet. They did say the more mages we could spare, the better," Ria says. "I'd invite you if you hadn't gotten yourself put on lockdown."

"It was worth it." Blue manages his balancing act and Leflin applauds him.

The broom clatters to the floor when the doors to the guild are kicked open with a bang.

"Where's Apolla?!" Evander yells as he runs inside, Catie chasing after him.

"In the infirmary like always." Ria answers. Evander rushes past her, and she notices the girl strapped to his back. "Who's that?"

"I don't know," says Catie. "We found her on the mountain."

"Apolla!" Evander hollers. "HELP!"

"What is it this ti-" Apolla cuts off as she sees the girl. Her hands and eyes start to glow. "Set her on the bed. Quickly!"

Evander does, Catie helping him untie the girl. Ria, Leflin, and Hunter crowd around the door, Craish, Silver and Blue not far behind them. They watch Apolla touch the girl's face, and a golden bubble covers her mouth and nose. Apolla then takes up her wrist and checks for a pulse. The healer's face grows grim.

Evander feels like throwing up.

"Catrina, help me undress her. Everyone else out! Now!" No one argues with Apolla's orders, except for Evander who stands staring at the girl. "Didn't you hear me? I said get OUT!"

With a jump and a curse, Evander leaves. The door slams behind him. His hands push back his hair as he starts to pace, his breathing growing faster and faster.

"What's with all the commotion?" Ajax asks as he, Bors, and Henry emerge from his office.

"Dad! Catie and I… We found this girl, and she's messed up real bad! I think she- she-" Evander can't breathe.

"Calm down!" Ajax places his hands on his son's shoulders. "Is Apolla with her?"

Evander nods.

"Then you know she will do everything she can. She is the best, after all."

Evander nods again, but his eyes are going dim. Ajax curses.

"Ria, please bring your brother into my office. I'll join you in a moment."

With wide eyes, Ria grabs Evander's hand and leads him away.

Ajax turns to face the rest of the members, all of them waiting for his instruction.

"Silver, Craish, Hunter: head into town and see if you can find any reports on a missing person. Take a communication lacrima in case I need you to get us supplies. Leflin, Blue: I want you two to do a sweep of the forest. See if you can find anything or anyone suspicious, but make sure you stay out of sight. If you do find something, come back here immediately. If any of you see Razi, go ahead and have him help you."

"Master, we were supposed to go on a mission with Ria," Hunter says.

"The last train is in four hours, right? Plan to take that one and check-in with Ria in three hours. I doubt she'll cancel, but she may ask you to wait for tomorrow. Any questions or anything else I should know?" The five of them exchange glances, but no one speaks up. "Very good. Try to keep quiet about what happened until we know if there was foul play involved. Stay safe."

"Is there anything we can do?" Bors asks once they've all gone.

"You have some first aid knowledge, don't you? Check with Apolla and see if you can help her."

"The kid seemed really shaken by this Ajax," Henry says. "Did you want me to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?"

"Ria knows how to keep him stable. He should be fine, at least for a little while. If you could, please contact Captain Achilles and let him know our assistance will be delayed."

Henry snorts. "He'll love that."

"I'm sure he will." With that, the three men part ways, and Ajax heads for his office.

* * *

Evander sits in his chair, head dangling between his legs while Ria rubs circles on his back and murmurs comforting nonsense. The Bard Beetle she found sits on Evander's neck, humming a tiny melody.

Ajax kneels in front of his son but doesn't touch him.

"Tell me what happened." He says, gently, as if he was speaking to a skittish horse.

Evander does.

At first, the words come out jolted. In sputters. Like he can't connect his mind with his mouth. He slowly unrolls his spine, vertebrae by vertebrae, but he doesn't meet Ajax's eyes. As he gets more and more into the story, the words flow more easily. His color returns. His eyes start to brighten and suddenly there's a river of information flowing from his mouth at a mile a minute with hardly a breath or a pause in between to break up where one sentence begins and another ends.

"Halfway down, I couldn't feel her heartbeat anymore, so we stopped, and Catie checked her pulse and her breathing, but there was nothing, so I gave her CPR, but it wasn't working! She wouldn't breathe! Catie told me to give up, but I didn't stop- I couldn't stop- and I just kept pushing down harder and harder until I felt her ribs snap under my hands. I don't know how long it took, but I did it. I got her breathing again. She made it the rest of the way down. I could feel her heartbeat the whole way, but she wasn't breathing again when I put her down. " Evander buries his face in his hands and shudders. A sob escapes his throat, and Ria throws herself around him in a hug. She stares up at Ajax with pleading eyes. The Bard Beetle whistles in distress.

Ajax wraps them both in a hug and thinks of what to say, but the words won't come. He doesn't want to make any false promises. All he can do is offer this minimal amount of comfort.

* * *

It's an hour later that Ajax feels he can leave Evander alone. He enters the infirmary, and the glow of Apolla's magic bathes the unconscious girl in gold. The healer barely looks up while Catie stands to the side holding a basin of water, dipping in a washcloth, and wiping it over the girl's arms.

"Where is Bors?" He asks.

"He went to get some tulsi from the greenhouse." Catie answers. "He should be back soon."

"I see," Ajax says. "What can you tell me so far about the girl?"

Apolla closes her eyes, and after a few moments, her magic stops. All the color it lent the girl fades away, and she's left looking so pale she's almost translucent.

"She's in better condition than I first thought," Apolla says. "She's breathing on her own again, and her pulse is also much stronger. Most of the damage is heavy bruising and shallow abrasions, though her ribs and left leg are broken. Her organs are functioning well enough, and it doesn't appear as if she attained any trauma to her head. My biggest worries are that she's malnourished, dehydrated, and has a case of acute bronchitis, all of which will need to be remedied before I can properly heal her, but everything else will be an easy fix."

"She'll be alright, then?"

"From what I can tell, yes. However, I sense magic all over her. I can't pinpoint exactly what it's doing, but she's under a spell."

Ajax frowns. "What's your best guess?"

"It feels like a stasis charm, similar to what I use to store potions, but that's all I'm getting."

"Do you think someone did this to her, then?"

"It's a possibility, but it's more likely she got lost, and the spell is her own magic kicking into survival mode."

Ajax sighs, his shoulder's slumping in relief.

"Do you mind if I let Evander in here? I think seeing the girl alive will help settle him."

"Just as long as he remains quiet."

* * *

Evander enters the infirmary as if walking to his own demise, with Ria close on his heels. His eyes land first on Catie who offers him a comforting smile, then Apolla, who doesn't acknowledge him at all, and finally the girl he found in the woods.

She's breathing.

In almost a trance, he takes a seat by her bed and finds himself breathing in time with her. His fingers twitch as if he wants to reach out and touch her, but he remains still.

No one says anything, the only sound Avon's humming, and Ajax motions for Catie to follow him. She pats Evander on the back on her way out and closes the infirmary door softly behind her. Ajax spots Bors and Henry returning to the guild, and gestures for them to join him and Catie. They all settle into his office.

"Before we begin, Catie I'd like to express my disappointment in you. You should have informed someone you and Evander were going up Obsidian Mountain. If something had happened, we wouldn't have been able to help you, especially since Evander was unable to access his magic."

"I know, Dad," Catie says. "I'm sorry."

Ajax nods. "You're a grown woman. That's all I'm going to say. Now, onto the reason why I called you here. I was already discussing this with Henry and Bors, but I received a special request from the magic council. Here." He hands her over the letter he received.

Catie quickly reads it over and frowns.

"I don't like the tone this Captian Achilles is taking with you."

Ajax waves it off.

"I understand why he might be a little upset with me. That's not the current issue. What are your thoughts about the mission?"

"It is an odd situation. I'll need more information before I can fully understand what happened though."

Ajax hums. "Henry, what did Captain Achilles say about postponing?"

"He's willing to give us a few extra hours and that's all. He'll be sending a carriage for us that will arrive at midnight."

"Can you all be ready by then?" The three nod. "Excellent. I'll leave you to it."

"Can I keep this letter?" Catie asks and pockets it when Ajax agrees. She waits for Bors and Henry to go before asking what she really wants to. "What are you going to do about Evander?"

"I'll let him sit with the girl for now." Ajax sighs. "If he ends up bothering Apolla, I'll make him go home, though I think he'll be alright now."

"The way he reacted…" Catie wraps her arms around herself. "It surprised me."

"It surprised me as well.'

"Then you've noticed it? How he's been acting weird lately? Ria too. They both feel…"

"Unstable?"

"Unpredictable."

Ajax smiles, but the grin doesn't reach his eyes.

"What's the difference?" He asks. Catie doesn't answer. "Try not to worry about it too much. I'm sure that whatever it is that's going on, they'll both be fine in no time. You'll see. We'll all be fine in the end."

The last part he says mostly to himself, but Catie doesn't comment on it. After all, the one who's been acting the most strange lately is Ajax.

* * *

Back in the infirmary, Evander is still sitting with Ria beside him, the same spot they've been rooted in for the past two hours. If not for the occasional blink, they'd look like statues. Even Apolla retired to her office long ago.

A knock on the door breaks the silence, and their eyes shoot to the door. Craish enters, but the looks on their faces make him hang back.

'The last train is leaving in an hour. Were we still going?' He asks.

Ria blinks, and looks to Evander. She stands up almost robotically and picks Avon up off of his lap.

"Yes. We can't postpone it at all."

Evander also blinks, turning away from the girl in the cot.

"You're talking about the snake mission, right?"

"Yes."

"Alright." He also stands. "Let's go."

Ria puts her hand on her chest.

"You're not going," she says.

"What do you mean? Of course, I am."

"No. You're not."

"Yes. I. Am."

"Your gauntlets are broken, Evander. I'm not taking you with me when you can't use your magic."

"What does that even matter?! We're just catching snakes, right?! I don't need my magic for that unless you planned on having me burn them!"

"It's an unpredictable creature in an environment we aren't familiar with. Bringing you along when you can't protect yourself is not only negligent, it's dangerous for everyone else involved!"

"Are you saying I'm a liability?"

"I'm saying you're being unreasonable!"

"No! Go ahead! Say what you really want to say!"

"And what exactly is that?!"

"You think I'm useless without my magic! I'm so sick of you and Dad and Catie infantilizing me like this! I'm 22 years old! I DON'T NEED YOU TO BABYSIT ME!"

"WELL MAYBE IF YOU ACTUALLY ACTED YOUR AGE FOR ONCE I WOULDN'T HAVE TO HOVER OVER YOU 24/7!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK BOTH OF YOU AND GET THE HELL OUT OF MY INFIRMARY!" Apolla yells, pushing Evander and Ria out the door, Craish being forced to go with the flow. "Deal with your issues in private like a normal dysfunctional family!"

She slams the door behind them, and Ria and Evander glare at each other. The air around them sizzles with magic, and Craish forces himself in between them. It's enough to break the tension, and Ria huffs before turning on her heel.

"I don't have time to deal with you right now. I'm gonna miss my train." She stops only long enough to glare at Craish. "If you're coming, then hurry up. We still need to find Leflin and Hunter."

'They're already in town,' Craish writes.

"Good. That'll save us time."

Just as they're leaving, Razi is coming into the guild and Ria dumps Avon on him.

"Watch my beetle till I come back. Ask my dad if you need help."

"Uh... okay." Razi holds Avon up to his face, and the beetle chirps.

After their gone, Evander paces in the guild for a bit, his skin itching with the desire to do… something. Anything.

And so he leaves the guild and heads toward Henry's shed.

He walks in on the man packing his bag.

"Where are you going?" He asks.

Henry doesn't even bother looking up.

"To Hemlock Town," he says. "Your old man's sending me on a mission with Bryce and Kathy."

Evander looks confused for a second

"You mean Bors and Catie?" He shakes his head. "Wait? My dad's sending Catie on a mission? Why didn't he ask me to go?"

"Probably because of that display you pulled. He probably thought you were too shaken to take on a mission. Not to mention the little issue with your gauntlets."

"Well, I'm fine now. And here." He dumps the lacirima onto Henry's desk. "You can fix my gauntlets with these."

"Great. You got them," Henry says. "But that'll have to wait till I get back."

"What do you mean?"

"We're leaving at midnight. I've got to prepare. I don't have time to clean up your mess right now, Kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Evander shouts, snatching up the lacrima and storming out of the shed.

Henry snorts. "Funny. That's just how a kid would react."

Evander runs through the forest and through town, not even aware of where he's going until he ends up in front of Calypso's home. He pounds on the door as hard as he can until she yanks it open, a frying pan in one hand held threateningly.

"Evander?" She asks. "What is it?"

"You can fix my gauntlets, right?" He asks.

Calypso frowns. "Yes. I can once I get the replacement lacrimas for you, but Evander weren't you going to have-"

"No need to wait. Here." He shoves the pouch Cassian gave him into her chest. "I've got the replacements."

Calypso frowns again, opening the bag and dumping the lacrima into her hands. She examines the leather bag and a storm falls over her features.

"Where did you get this?" She asks.

"What?"

"Where. Did you get this?" She shoves the pouch in his face. "Did someone give it to you? Who were they?"

"No one!" Evander lies before he can think about it. "I found it!"

"Where? At the top of the mountain?"

"Yes!"

"You went there even though I specifically told you to wait for me?"

"I didn't go by myself! Catie was with me!"

That seems to calm Calypso down a little. She drags him inside and forces him to sit on her couch.

"Tell me everything that happened."

For the second time, Evander recounts his adventure with Catie, only this time he omits the old man from his tale. When he gets to the part about the girl, he clams up a bit.

"What is it? Tell me."

"The girl, when I first saw her… She looked exactly like you."

Calypsos' eyes widen. "Like me?"

"Yes. For I second I thought she was you. But when we brought her back to the guild and cleaned her up, she ended up looking nothing like you. It was just my imagination I guess. Still, it really messed me up. I kept seeing you, lying there, dead and well…"

"It reminded you of Lina?"

"...yeah."

Calypso grabs his hand and squeezes it tight.

"You have a good heart, Evander. Your head just needs to catch up with it a bit. You've had a long day. I recommend you go home and rest."

"Yeah. You're probably right." Evander stands up but stops. "Are you going to fix my gauntlets?"

"No. I think it'd be best if Henry fixed them for you as you planned."

"Maybe."

"Here." Calypso gives Evander the lacrima back, and he notices she's replaced the bag they were in. He wonders when she managed to do that. "Hold on to these and don't break them. Just because you know where to get them now doesn't mean you can treat them poorly."

"I won't. I promise. See you later Calypso."

"Take care of yourself Evander. And be careful."

"Alright. I will."

Evander walks away, but for some reason, he doesn't go home. Instead, he finds himself once more in the infirmary. Apolla watches him retake his seat by the girl's side and sighs. She goes into her office, returning with a book.

"What's this for?" Evander asks as she drops it on his lap.

"If you're going to be taking up space in here you might as well make yourself useful. Read to her."

"She can hear me?"

"I don't know yet. I still have to run a few more tests, but just in case she can, you should provide her some kind of entertainment. Now, I've got to go talk with Ajax. Don't touch my stuff."

She leaves with a vile of lavender smelling potion, the door swinging shut behind her. Evander lifts the book and reads the title.

'Common Fairy Tales and Legends.'

"It feels weird to read to an unconscious person," he says aloud, watching the girl for some kind of reaction. There isn't one, of course. With a sigh, he opens the book and flips through the pages until he finds a story he likes.

"Once upon a time," he starts, "there was a castle in the sky."

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Malfel: Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter as well!**

**SimpleStories24: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I enjoyed reading your predictions! We will eventually have S-class trials, though it won't be for a little while. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**

**Torsa:**** The girl lives! For now, at least. Thank you for taking the time to review! I hope your holidays were nice!**

* * *

**So The Snake Mission and The Nobleman Mission have been pretty much written and are taking place at about the same time. Would you guys prefer to read one completely and then the other, or would you prefer I shift back and forth between them?**

**Also, if you have any predictions for what's going to happen, please let me know! It helps me tell if I'm planting the right seeds, so to speak.**

**Also, also, I've decided to draw basic sketches of all the guild members. They'll be posted to the Phoenix Refuge tumblr page and include small profiles. You can see an example of what these will look like there now. Please let me know if there is anything you'd like me to include that you might have forgotten in your submission! This will be a slow process so please have patience with me! **

**Thank you, everyone, for reading! I'll be back within the next two weeks!**


	8. The Cave

**Sorry for the late update. Things have been kind of hectic on my end. They've settled down now, so I should be able to return to a more frequent update schedule.**

* * *

_Walking out_

_I came across a placid lake_

_Mesmerized_

_By my reflection on the surface_

_~The Cave - Stone Giants~_

* * *

_Chapter Six: The Cave_

* * *

_~March 20th, x800~_

Hunter wakes to the jostle of the train and the gentle tapping of rain against the window. He tries to latch onto the hazy traces of his dream (the ocean, a woman's laugh, her face always just out of his sight) but they fade and are quickly forgotten. Squinting into the darkness, he can make out Craish's still form in the bunk opposite his own, but when Hunter looks to where Ria should be sound asleep above Craish, all he sees is an unmade bed.

A bubble of anxiety fills his chest, but he pushes it down. He sits, careful not to bump his head on the bed above him where Leflin sleeps. The clock in their compartment says it's a quarter till one in the morning. Hunter pulls on his boots and leaves as quietly as he can.

He has no clue where to begin searching, but there aren't very many places Ria could have gone at this time of night. Unless she managed to sneak her way into somewhere off-limits, of course. Hunter wouldn't put it past her, especially given the state of her attitude since they left Barberry.

Ria had been surly and quiet. She'd refused to say anything beyond the bare minimum of words and hadn't even bothered to react to Leflin's teasing. After dinner, she'd retired early, and Craish shared the fight she'd had with Evander.

It was shocking to hear considering Evander and Ria never fight, at least never seriously. Still, it explained why she was upset, and so the three young men had let her be while Leflin entertained himself by grilling Craish on his magic.

Hunter checks the dining cart, but the only life there is a mouse that quickly scurries out of his sight. He continues to the back of the train until he reaches the observation deck. Through the small window in the door, he catches a glimpse of mahogany hair. Bracing himself for the wind and rain, he steps out.

Ria drapes her torso over the railing, closing her eyes and letting the raindrops fall on her face while the wind whips her hair behind her. Hunter sidles up beside her, but she barely spares him a glance. The rain, however, refuses to touch him now, as if his skin and clothes are repelling it. He lifts his arm and watches the way the water comes within a centimeter of touching him but never makes contact. Beside him, Ria is still being soaked.

"What are you doing out here?" He asks. "You'll catch your death of cold."

She's silent for so long, Hunter wonders if she can even hear him over the pounding of the rain. He reaches out to nudge her arm, but she begins speaking.

"I can't sleep when it's raining like this," she says.

"Why not?"

Carefully, Ria pulls herself onto the railing and sits and stares as her feet dangle off the side. "I don't really know, but it's like there's lightning in my veins. My mother was the same way, apparently." She lifts a hand and watches water gather in her palm. "There's just something about hearing rain, and seeing it from behind a glass that drives me a bit insane. I try to resist its call, but in the end, I never can. I need to feel it on my skin, but even then, it doesn't feel like it's enough." She leans forward more and more with each word. "I wish I could become rain."

Ria is leaning so far forward, she's nearly parallel with the ground. Hunter sees the grip she has on the railing loosen and is struck with the image of her jumping off the train. He grabs her arm without thinking.

Ria startles, and whatever spell she cast to keep him dry breaks. He once again feels the steady thrum of rain on his skin. She looks at him with wide hazel eyes that nearly glow, her gaze sliding from his face to his hand that still grips her.

With a swallow, he let's go.

"Sorry," Hunter says, though he's not sure what he's apologizing for.

"No. It's okay." Ria breathes, deep, and something seems to settle inside her. Hunter offers his hand to her, and Ria lets him help her back onto the deck. He pretends not to notice how shaky her limbs are.

"...We should wake Leflin and Craish," she says. "We'll be arriving in Jessamine in less than an hour. Come on."

They step out of the rain together, and with a flick of her wrist, Ria pulls the water off of their bodies, leaving a puddle on the floor.

* * *

By the time they reach Jessamine, the rain has stopped and the moon is full. It provides ample lighting for them to pick their way from the station to an information booth sitting alone at the edge of town. Sitting inside, a young woman with silver hair rests her head in her palm as she sleeps.

Hunter snaps in her face and she wakes up.

"Oh. Are you those guild mages?" She stretches with a yawn. "Great. Give me a sec, and I'll explain what happened here."

She pulls down a black curtain over the booth window, and the four listen as she curses and crashes about for a while. When she emerges from the booth, she's wearing a rumpled Rune Knight uniform.

"I'm Sergeant Laila Astra. We'll talk while we walk. The sooner we reach base camp, the sooner I can chug a mug of coffee."

She goes off in long sure strides, and the others follow her closely. After they all introduce themselves, she begins their brief.

"So there's a small nature preserve located just on the outskirts of Jessamine. Due to the steady incline of industrialization, most of the creatures that live in this area can only be found there, and the Queen's really into that whole environmental protection thing, you know? The problem is that a place without any people is really attractive to criminals, especially if that place has endangered plants and animals."

"There was a smuggler problem then?" Leflin asks.

"Got it in one!" Sergeant Astra winks. "There were some members of a dark guild holing out here, trying to catch as many rare creatures as they could. We pushed them back into one of the water-bound caves, and we were able to apprehend all of them, but not before the group released all of the snakes they'd captured, most of which aren't native species."

"That could irreparably damage the entire ecosystem of the cave," Ria says.

"It sure can, Sweetheart," Sergeant Astra smacks her on the back, much to Ria's annoyance. "Not to mention half of those snakes are highly illegal. Now, the actual members aren't talking, but they hired a couple of mercenaries to help out with their operation, and those guys are singing like canaries. We've managed to make a list of all the snakes and how many of each species there were. We need you guys to go down there and make sure you catch all of them."

"Is there any particular reason why the Rune Knights couldn't have handled this?" Hunter asks, eyeing Astra in suspicion.

The young woman clears her throat and laughs nervously.

"Yeah… About that-"

"The Rune Knights have been barred from entering our caves," says a woman with dark skin and short, curly black hair, "since they were negligent and incompetent enough to actually cause part of the cave system to collapse. I've specifically requested they be removed from the preserve entirely, but I have to wait for their mess to be cleaned up. Then I'm free to ban them for life."

Astra sighs. "This is Director Diana Vega. She's in charge of… well, everything really."

"A pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for coming on such short notice. Normally, my own team would be able to handle this, but Sergeant Astra has threatened to detain anyone who enters without her permission."

"They're civilians and unable to use magic. Like it or not, those caves are now an active crime scene. They're not trained to handle this."

"And I maintain that you are wrong and making a mistake." Director Vega turns to the four mages. "I trust you all will treat our delicate caves with the respect and reverence they deserve."

'Of course, Ma'am.' Hunter writes.

"Excellent. Come along, and we'll get you geared up."

* * *

An hour later, the four of them are equipped with helmets, rope, and lanterns that will only illuminate their immediate area, so as not to bother the wildlife, as well as a map of the cave system. They are also given transporting nets connected to cages in the Rune Knights base.

"You're looking for a total of eighty snakes," Astra informs them. "All of which are harmless to humans. Hopefully, it won't take you more than a couple of days, but we can't be sure."

With that, the four are packed into a car with Director Vega and take off across the preserve.

"This system was small and well mapped before the collapse. It was what we used for educational tours, but now the whole thing is unstable. There may be tunnels and chambers not on the map, as well as chasms and cliffs that were unearthed." Director Vega explains. "There's some supplies we left inside, including freshwater, oxygen tanks, and extra lanterns. You may need them the deeper you get, so I've marked their location on your map."

She parks near a large lake. The water is so clear, it reflects the sky above like a mirror. Only the occasional ripple on the surface breaks the illusion.

"The part of the cave we used to enter into was lost in the collapse," Vega says. "The only other way into this system can be found there." She points to a small strip of land in the middle of the lake.

'How do we reach it?' Craish asks. Director Vega sighs.

"I'm afraid that will be your first challenge. We've been getting more rain than expected lately, and our boat sank yesterday."

Ria kneels beside the water, gazing at her reflection. "How deep is it?" She touches the surface and watches the distortion.

"Approximately 45 meters."

"I could swim across," Leflin says. "Or fly. Though I'm not sure how the three of you would manage. I'm afraid you've all indulged too freely in sweets for me to ferry you across."

"Oh yes," Hunter says. "It has nothing to do with the actual size of your transformations."

Leflin places his hand on Hunter's shoulder. "I'm so glad you understand."

Hunter smacks the hand away. "Perhaps you can turn into that little fish of yours and we can dangle you over the water. You'll be the perfect bait to attract something big enough to ride across."

"Or maybe you could flash your little lights and attract something that way?"

"Never mind, I'm sure your ego is big enough to carry us."

"Please. That lake is far too small to contain my ego."

As the two continue to bicker, Craish and Vega watch Ria remove her boots and socks. She ties the laces together and swings them over her shoulder before stepping onto the water. She gasps. It's cold, and a shiver goes up her spine. After rocking back and forth on her heels for a second, she begins to walk across.

"Oh my," Vega says.

Craish waves to get Leflin and Hunter's attention, but the two are too invested in their snide remarks to notice. He huffs, then flicks them both on the side of the head. His armor adds a nice clink to the contact. Before either can retaliate, Craish points to the lake, and they're both stunned to silence.

The reflection of the night sky in the water creates the illusion that Ria is walking on moonlight and stars. She turns to face them and starts walking backward.

"Are you guys coming or what?" She asks.

"Since when are you able to walk on water?" Hunter calls.

"About ten seconds ago," Ria calls back. "Now, hurry up and follow or I'll leave you all behind!"

"How exactly are you doing this?" Leflin asks even as he steps onto the water behind her. He bounces up and down. "Oh! You're controlling the surface tension, aren't you? How great is your reach? Are you controlling the entire lake?" He steps to the side and nearly falls into the water, getting his leg soaked.

Ria yelps as she starts to sink, having to concentrate to regain her control.

"Stop messing around!" She says, "I can only affect the parts nearest to me. That's why you need to hurry before the places I touched lose their effect!"

Craish steps onto the water next and Hunter is about to follow when Director Vega pulls him back.

"Before you go, take this." She pulls a necklace from around her neck. "This is an emergency communication lacrima. It will send a signal with your location back to the base, and I'll form a team to extract you."

"Won't Sergeant Astra stop you?"

"She can try, but trust me when I say she won't get far. Now, it only works once, and the signal dies after an hour, so use it only if you've exhausted all other options."

"Alright." Hunter drapes the necklace over his head and tucks it into his shirt. "Thank you."

"I only wish I could be of more help. Good luck."

Without further ado, Hunter steps onto the lake. It feels strange, like a thin sheet of fabric has been placed on top of the surface then pulled tautly. He can feel just how tentative the spell is, though, and runs to catch up to the others. The closer he gets to them, the more stable the water beneath him.

"So how long have you actually been able to do this?" Hunter asks.

"I've been trying for a couple of months now, but this is the first time I've been successful," Ria says. "It's something my mother could do. She was also able to part the ocean and walk along the seafloor. She could make waves big enough to swallow a ship. She even had the ability to change the temperature of the water. If she was here, she would have just made a bridge of ice across, and she could have maintained it for days. She was incredible. I don't have any of the control and power she did."

"Don't sell yourself short. How many people have the ability to walk on water?"

"Anyone who can use water magic, I imagine." Leflin supplies unhelpfully. "Or perhaps someone with superspeed. Or someone who can control gravity. Or-"

"Yes, thank you Leflin," Hunter says.

"Like I said," Ria turns back to shoot them a small grin with a shrug. "This is nothing."

* * *

It isn't long before the four of them reach the island, though calling it that is a bit of a stretch. It can't be more than 20 feet by 10 feet wide and there's absolutely no sign of the cave anywhere. Once they actually step ashore though, Craish finds a hole in the middle. He whistles to get the others' attention and waves them over.

"Cool. You found it," Ria says. She gets ready to just jump into it when Craish stops her, tossing a rock down. The four of them listen, and it takes almost a minute before they hear a splash.

"That's a deep drop," Hunter says. "We need to be careful about getting down there."

"We've got a rope. It shouldn't be that hard." Ria says, already searching for something to anchor said rope onto. There's a boulder not too far away from the entrance, and Ria knots it with the professionalism of a sailor. She yanks the rope as hard as she can, then makes a beeline for the cave mouth. Hunter shouts, and Craish makes to grab her, but she ducks out of his reach and jumps.

She's plunged into darkness. The air whistles past and whips her hair in her face. Her stomach flips and yells of her name echo behind her.

Suddenly, the rope pulls taut and bounces her up and down. When it settles, she turns on her lantern to see just how far from the ground she is. It turns out she stopped just shy of crashing into the water.

Ria lowers herself down slowly, testing the depth of the water with her foot. It's shallow enough that it only kisses her ankles.

"I lived." She yells, examining the space around her. There's nothing special about it. "You guys can shimmy on down now."

Hunter is the first one down, and he lands with a great thud and splash.

"Are you crazy?" He grabs Ria by the shoulders and shakes her back and forth. "If the rope had been too long, you could have died!"

Ria shushes him. "We knew there was water at the bottom. I was going to use it to break my fall. I'm not an idiot, you know."

"You could have fooled me," Leflin says as he drops down next. Craish slides down right behind him, almost knocking him over. "This water isn't deep enough to break anything but your legs. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a death wish."

"Oh please," Ria scoffs. "I took a calculated risk to save time. If I thought I would get seriously injured, I wouldn't have done it."

"Right. Just moderate injuries are okay." Hunter says.

'It was unnecessary and reckless.' Craish says. 'How much time did you actually save? Minutes? Seconds? You could have easily let down the rope first then climbed down in a controlled descent.'

Ria glares at all three young men, but once its obvious no one is going to budge, she sighs.

"Fine. I'm sorry. I'm just worried about the snakes. They've already been down here too long. I want to help them as soon as possible."

"You can't help anything if you're dead," Hunter says.

"You're right. I'll be more careful from now on. I promise."

"Good!" Leflin ruffles Ria's hair. "Now, was admitting your wrong that painful?"

"It was excruciating."

"Now that that's settled," Hunter says, "let's get this search party on the move."

'Does anybody have an actual plan?' Craish asks.

"According to this," Leflin says. "There are four main caverns connected by an intricate forming of tunnels, each of which is about a mile long. The last cavern has been cut off due to the collapse caused by the Rune Knights, so we'll only need to search the other three and the tunnels connecting them. It used to be one big loop, but now we'll have to walk all the way to the third chamber, then double back. Despite the inconvenience, we should be able to search through them thouroughly. Even if this map is a little off now due to the cave in, I should still be able to guide us properly."

"Does that thing tell you how far below ground we are?" Hunter asks.

"Two hundred feet right now, but we should be nearly five hundred feet deep by the time we reach the second chamber."

"How long until we reach the first chamber?" Ria asks.

Before Leflin can say anything, a loud clap gets their attention. Craish points to an alcove emitting a soft light and slips inside. The three of them follow behind him.

The sight that greets them is a small chamber, not much bigger than the guildhall, filled with illuminated flowers that look as though they were carved from crystals. Fluttering back and forth, glowing moths land on their petals and drink their fill of nectar. The floor seems to be made entirely of granite and catches the light of their lanterns in a way that makes it look like a galaxy.

"Beautiful," Ria says. Two moths fly close, and she stands still as a statue when they land on her hair. They only stay for a moment before going off...

And landing on Craish, along with twenty more. Ria laughs at the overwhelmed look on his face and gently brushes them away.

"They're attracted to the light your armor is reflecting," she says. "They should leave you alone when they realize your not a flower."

Craish nods and shoos away a few more moths trying to land on him.

Leflin approaches one of the crystal flowers and touches its petal. The flower curls closed as its light goes out. He removes his finger and the light turns back on.

"Interesting." He mumbles before trying to take a closer look at the moths surrounding Craish.

Hunter notices a plague across the way and goes to read it. As he crosses the room, the floor illuminates under his feet and leaves an imprint of his steps behind him. Ria follows the path he made, stepping where Hunter did. She's still barefoot and can feel the warmth of the ground.

"According to this," Hunter says when she steps beside him, "the floor and walls are made of Moonshade Crystal, and it illuminates when touched. The flowers are Glass Lilies, and those are Marble Moths: the nectar from the lilies is how they gain their glow."

"What makes the lilies glow?" Ria asks. Hunter shrugs.

"It doesn't say."

"Maybe Leflin knows," Ria says as she runs off to join Leflin and Craish, the floor lighting up behind her.

Hunter watches her go until he notices movement from the corner of his eye. He looks to the exit of the chamber, but nothing is there.

No, wait. There is something. A mark is illuminated on the cave wall. He squints, but it's too far away to make out from where he's standing. He moves to step closer but is interrupted by Ria's shout.

"I just saw a snake! It went that way!" She points down a small tunnel and takes off running.

"Son of a-" Hunter runs after her, closely followed by Craish and Leflin. "What kind of idiot runs barefoot and blind down a dark tunnel?! Do you even know where you're going?"

Back in the crystal room, the mark on the wall fades away. If Hunter had managed to get close enough, he would have seen it was a handprint.

* * *

Twenty minutes and one captured snake later, water sloshes against their calves as the four travel further into the cave system. Lomg gone is the light of the crystal room, and if not for the lanterns, they wouldn't be able to see their hands in front of their faces. Even then, there's barely enough visibility to see each other, and not much else.

Soon they come along a fork in the path; the left tunnel emits a gentle glow while the right seems to be filled with water.

'Which way first?' Craish asks.

"It doesn't really matter," Leflin says. "They both lead to the second chamber."

"It might benefit us to split up," Hunter says. "We'll be able to cover more ground that way."

"Sounds good to me. How about Leflin and I go right, and you and Craish go left." Ria says. The others agree.

"We should both be able to reach the chamber in about an hour," Leflin says.

"Alright then." Ria hikes her bag higher onto her shoulder. "See you guys on the other side. Remember to keep your eyes peeled. Pay special attention to cracks and crevises!"

She wades down the right path, and Hunter grabs Leflin's arm before he can follow.

"Keep an eye on her," he whispers. "She's been acting weird."

"Aww, Hunter. You're worried about her? How sweet! I can hear the wedding bells already!" Leflin laughs as Hunter pushes him away. "It's alright! I'll keep her from doing anything stupid! The love of your life will be safe in my hands."

"I dare you to say that to her face," Hunter says. "I hope she drowns you."

Leflin just laughs harder as he follows Ria down the tunnel, and Hunter sighs.

'Are they going to be okay?' Craish asks.

"If we're lucky, they'll both get snake bites and die. Then they won't be our problem anymore."

'I know you're joking, but you shouldn't wish death upon your friends.' Craish says, and Hunter just sighs again.

"Let's just get going," Hunter says, stepping into the left tunnel.

Not long after the four have split up, a group of shadows also comes along the fork in the road. It pauses, pulsing, the sound of whispers emitting from its center. Suddenly, it breaks in two. One by one, the shadows ooze into the tunnels, growing to block off the exits.

* * *

**I won't be responding to reviews in this chapter since it's been so long, but I will respond in the next chapter. **

**I still haven't decided if I'm going to be skipping back and forth between the two missions. My current goal is to get the next chapter out by next Friday, but we'll see how that goes. Thank you all for your patience! **


	9. The Shadows

**Recently I purchased a little Squirtle plush. He's the best thing I own.**

* * *

_So come in my cave_

_And I'll burn your heart away_

_Come in my cave_

_And arrest me for my mistakes_

_~Cave - Muse~_

* * *

_Chapter Seven: The Shadows_

* * *

_~March 20th, x800~_

As Hunter and Craish step into the left tunnel, they find that the glow is caused by bushels of tiny mushrooms that congregate around cracks and crevices in the cave wall; they shift from red to blue to purple to green in a steady synchronized rhythm, almost like a heartbeat. More importantly, a dozen or more snakes slither away as soon as the light from their lanterns exposes them. Hunter and Craish give chase. They manage to catch two snakes a piece, but halfway through the tunnel, thick tree roots dangle from the ceiling and weave together, blocking the walkway.

"How are we going to get through this?" Hunter asks, tapping the roots with his knuckles.

Craish answers by drawing his sword and striking the roots. When that fails to do anything, he summons a different sword from his Requip space: a green glowing machete, to be specific, with the rune for "acid" carved into its hilt.

Arcane Smith Magic, is what Craish told Leflin his magic is called; a caster type that allows him to enchant objects with various effects.

"That works," Hunter says, watching acid drip from the blade. "Just try not to hurt any of the snakes or Ria will murder us."

Craish nods and gets to work hacking away at the roots; they sizzle and shiver away when struck, leaving behind a bitter, smoky odor.

Hunter follows close behind, his eyes peeled for even the barest hint of a snake, though they're all doing an excellent job of staying hidden. He dodges a stray root that swings back towards him. Some acid is still dripping from where it was severed and nearly lands on Hunter's arm.

"The acid might have been overkill," Hunter mutters.

Craish either doesn't hear or ignores him and continues chopping away at the roots until there's finally enough space for the two of them to walk through. Fortunately, the roots were acting as a bit of a curtain, and once the two pass them, the rest of the tunnel is clear.

Unfortunately, a man in a black cloak that covers most of his face is waiting for them on the other side.

Craish immediately crouches down into a defensive position, and Hunter begins calling upon his magic: wisps of green light start rapidly circling around his hands.

"Identify yourself!" Hunter demands.

"You're very rude," says the man. His voice sounds like it's coming through a radio with a poor signal. "People normally start with a 'hello,', but seeing as you barbarically slaughtered your way through those poor trees, I don't expect much from you." He lifts his hand. "My name is Racer, and you should have more respect for nature."

He flicks out his fingers, and black tendrils of shadows shoot out from behind Hunter and Craish, wrapping around their ankles and wrists. It feels like razor blades are cutting into Hunter's skin, and Craish thrashes about as they burn through his armor.

"You'll be coming with me now," Racer says as he turns to walk away.

"I don't think so! Himmel's Flash!" Hunter shouts as he snaps his fingers. A blinding flash of light bursts forth, chasing away the shadows and causing Racer to fallback.

"Let's go!" Hunter grabs Craish's arm and runs, doing his best to keep him from stumbling. "Sorry I wasn't able to warn you! You should get your sight back in a minute or so!"

Of course, that meant Racer would also get his sight back, and Hunter wasn't sure just how effective his magic had been against the shadows. Himmel Magic is a type of light magic that draws the purest form of light from the heavens into the caster, flowing freely inside before being released in a spell. Normally, it's quite effective against dark magic and shadow based magic, but there was something off about those shadows.

Hunter just needed a minute to think of a plan.

As if in answer to his thoughts, the light of his lantern lands upon an alcove, just big enough for him and Craish to hide. Without ceremony, he shoves Craish inside and squeezes himself in right behind him.

"Turn off your light!" He hisses, quickly doing the same.

Craish, still unable to see, fumbles around before finding the switch. Once his lantern is off, the two are left in darkness. Out in the tunnel, the mushrooms still blink and glow, but their light doesn't reach the alcove.

Hunter watches, waiting and listening for some sign of Racer even as his mind races. He leans in close to Craish, and whispers so quietly he almost doesn't make a sound.

"Do you have a weapon you can fight the shadows with?" He asks. Hunter can't see him, but he can feel Craish nod in confirmation. "Then when I give the signal, you come out swinging, alright?" Craish nods again.

_He'll never let me get close enough to fight, _he thinks, _but_ _i__f we manage to keep our cover, I can ambush him as soon as he passes. I should be able to get in a few good punches before he can call on his shadows. That should buy enough time for Craish to jump in, assuming he has a light-infused weapon of some sort. While he fends off the shadows, I can knock out Racer. After he's secured we'll need to meet up with Ria and Leflin. If he's not the only one down here, they'll be targeted as well and might need our help. _

The two of them hear the scraping sound of Racer picking himself off the floor, followed by unsteady footsteps walking towards them.

_He's still disoriented. Good. _

With bated breath, Hunter listens as step by step Racer approaches the alcove. His body is tense, a trigger on the verge of being released. The light of the mushrooms allows him to see Racer's shadow take form the closer he gets.

_Just a bit more. _

Hunter digs his heels into the ground, prepared to spring. The edge of Racer's shadow touches the cave. Hunter jumps.

"Found you," Racer says. His shadow knocks into the entrance of the alcove and one tendril stabs Hunter through his shin.

The cave wall collapses.

* * *

Halfway down the right tunnel, the water level gradually rises until it covers Ria's waist and Leflin's hips. Steady drips fall from the ceiling and land on their heads every so often while great stalactites hang so low that Leflin has to duck to avoid some of them. The tunnel had started out wide enough that three people could walk side by side with plenty of elbow room, but it had quickly narrowed; now they have to walk single file and there is hardly any room to turn around.

"Is it just me," Ria asks, "or is it getting colder?"

"It shouldn't be," Leflin says. "Caves tend to have the same average temperature all year round. I'd say this cave stays between fifty and sixty degrees."

"So your saying I'm imagining it?"

"Basically yes, though you may just be colder because there's a slight draft and half of your body is in water." Leflin notices Ria's shoulders shaking. "Are you really that cold?"

"Yes, but I'll be okay." Ria rubs her arms. "I just need to keep my mind off it. Can you help distract me or something?"

"Here, I'll do you one better." Leflin places both his hands on Ria's shoulders and suddenly she feels enveloped in great warmth.

"Oh," she says before breathing out a sigh of relief. "How are you doing that?"

"It's simply an illusion. I'm just making you think it's warmer than it is. It's only temporary."

"Thanks. I'll appreciate it while it lasts." Ria closes her eyes to bask in the false warmth for a moment. "I always forget you have Transformation Magic _and_ Illusion Magic."

"That's because, despite our deep and profound friendship, you and I rarely team up for missions," Leflin says. "This is your first mission without Catie or Evander, isn't it?"

Ria shrugs. "I guess so."

"Why haven't you gone off without them before now?"

"I don't know." She sighs. "We were the only members for a while, and my dad wasn't going to let any of us go off on our own. Going on missions together just became a habit."

"Is it difficult not having either of them here?"

"Not really. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Ria sighs again. "But it is weird. I keep turning around to tell them something or ask them something only to remember they're not there. It's throwing me off balance."

"The three of you are close."

"Yeah. Shared childhood trauma will do that to you." Ria starts to shiver again, and Leflin renews his spell. "Thanks. It's too cold down here. I should have worn pants."

"Or put your boots back on," Leflin says and Ria makes a noise in agreement. "I wasn't going to bring it up, but Craish told us about your fight with Evander."

"Really? That's embarrassing," Ria says, and now it's Leflin's turn to shrug.

"Families fight. Even close ones." He examines Ria's body language. Her shoulders are more relaxed and she's holding her head up higher. "Did you want to talk about it?"

Ria pauses as if considering it but quickly shakes her head. "Thanks but at the rate, we're going I'll have to start paying you."

"Who said I haven't already been charging you by the minute?" Leflin grins. "You already owe me 5000 Jewels."

"What kind of overpriced therapist are you?" Ria asks, mock offended, but Leflin can hear the smile in her voice. "I should sue you for malpractice."

A gust of wind from behind steals whatever answer Leflin was going to give as the temperature drops to below freezing in an instant.

"W-what's g-going on?" Ria asks, her breath forming white puffs with each word.

"Magic, I'm guessing," Leflin says, turning to face the back of the tunnel.

"T-there's someone else d-down here?" Ria whispers, teeth chattering. It's getting colder and colder by the second.

"The Rune Knights must have missed them."

"H-how?"

"They probably lost them during the cave-in." Leflin is shivering now too. "The water is just making the cold worse. Can you manipulate it away from us?"

Ria tries to create a dry path for them, but she's shaking so much she can't focus. After her third attempt at parting the water just makes a wave that brushes against them, she gives up.

"I-I can't."

"What?"

"I CAN'T!"

"Keep your voice down!" Leflin hisses, but it's too late. Suddenly, the water turns to ice and traps them.

"L-leflin!"

"Don't panic. Keep quiet. Don't move." Leflin places his hand on top of Ria's head and takes a deep breath. "False," he whispers and Ria shivers at the feel of his magic falling over her.

The tap of footsteps echo in the cave, getting closer and closer until they sound like they're right in front of them, but Ria doesn't see anyone.

Suddenly, a woman drops from the ceiling, landing hard enough on the ice that cracks spiderweb from beneath her feet. She's tall, with thin limbs. Her skin is pale and her eyes are black as her hair. She looks like someone drained all the color out of her. Even her clothes are black.

"Where did you go?" The woman asks, her voice delicate and thin. "I heard you. Didn't you want to play with me, _Sirenita_?"

Leflin feels Ria stiffen beside him and risks turning his head just enough to glance at her; her eyes are so wide they take up half her face.

"I saw you earlier, _Sirenita_, just for a moment." The woman takes a step towards them. "You're so _pretty_ from afar." Another step. "I'd love to see your face up close." She's so close now, Ria covers her mouth to muffle her breath. "I'm dying to know if you have her eyes."

The woman reaches out a hand as if to lovingly cradle Ria's face, and Leflin gets ready to transform as soon as the illusion breaks.

"Bandy," a man says, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He wears a thick black cloak, but what can be seen of the bottom of his face and beard is just as monochromatic as the woman.

"What are you doing to that stalagmite?" He asks. "Didn't I tell you that touching them damages them?"

The woman, Bandy, blinks and pulls back.

"Sorry, Racer." She smiles, but the gesture feels empty. "I got Lost again."

"Your delusions are getting out of hand." The man sighs. "Did you find them?"

"No. She must have used the water to escape somehow." Bandy swoons. "That's what Marcy would have done."

"They can't have gone too far. I'll leave my pet to monitor the entrance." Racer turns on his heels. "Now come with me. I've managed to corner the others, but I'll need your help subduing them."

"Alright." Bandy skips after him. "You'll let me keep her right?"

"I don't care so long as you can keep her from escaping."

"Don't worry!" Bandy sighs, forlorn and lovestruck. "Once I have her, I'll never let her go."

As the two leave, the temperature returns to normal and the ice starts to melt. Leflin waits until the sound of their steps has faded before he ends the spell.

"We need to go help Hunter and Craish," he says.

"She knows." Ria whispers. All the blood has drained from her face and her hands are shaking as they cover her mouth.

"What does she know?" Leflin asks.

Ria swallows and shakes her head hard as if resetting her mind.

"Nothing. It doesn't matter. Let's get out of here." She turns back to go the way they came.

"Hold up," Leflin whispers as he grabs her shoulders. "Look there." He points to a mass of shadows far down the cave. "Something's waiting for us."

Ria squints. She can't see anything unusu-

"Oh!" She gasps. Tendrils of inky darkness and inching up the cave wall and drifting towards them slowly. "What is that?"

"I'm not sure," Leflin says. "Whatever it is though, it can't see or hear us, or it would have attacked us by now. Judging by the way it's moving, I'd say it navigates by touch."

"I guess we can't go back the way we came then."

"Definitely not, but we need to keep moving. Stand back to back with me." Leflin guides Ria behind him and grabs her hand. "I'll keep an eye on it. Lead us out of here."

"Okay," Ria says, wading forward through the water.

They move quickly, trying not to draw attention while keeping a steady pace. Leflin has a spell prepared on the tip of his tongue should the shadows attack, and Ria keeps her hand poised above the water, which is getting deeper and deeper. Her head barely sticks out of the surface now. She tilts it back to keep from breathing in the water but doesn't lose her pace.

It must only be about ten to fifteen minutes, but it feels like hours before they reach the end of the tunnel. There's a ledge that Ria pulls herself onto slowly, and a small opening she has to wiggle and crawl through. Once through to the other side, she gives the all-clear for Leflin and starts to pull the water away from her body when the light of her lantern lands upon a gruesome sight.

Still inside the tunnel, Leflin also pulls himself onto the ledge and examines the opening. He can't fit through it like Ria did, at least not in his current form. Taking a deep breath, he starts to transform: his skin turns red as fur rapidly grows, his entire body shrinking down as his bones rearrange themselves and a long tail emerges from the base of his spine. In the end, where Leflin once stood is now a small red cat that easily scampers through the hole and joins Ria on the other side.

He nuzzles against her calves and meows, but she doesn't push him away as he expected. He looks up at her face, shocked to see her openly crying as her eyes remained glued on something in the distance. He follows her sightline, his vision in this form much better than normal, and hunches his back with a loud hiss.

A pile of forty or fifty snakes lies before them. All of their bellies are facing up and eviscerated while their heads seem to have been bitten off.

Leflin transforms back and places his hand on Ria's shoulder.

"Why did they do this?" She asks, hiccupping as she wipes away her tears.

"I don't know, but we can't stay here," Leflin says.

"I can't just leave them like this. It's awful!"

"I know. We'll come back, but right now Hunter and Craish need us."

Ria nods, biting her lip to hold in a sob.

"You're right." She takes a deep breath and forces a look of determination on her face, though Leflin can easily see the cracks in the facade. Turning her back on the snakes, she runs towards the second tunnel.

* * *

**This chapter is shorter than I'd like, but the other scene I wanted to include isn't going to be finished in time for me to post today. **

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**SimpleStories24: Hello! I'm happy you're enjoying Leflin's teasing. When he and Blue are together, they will be insufferable! I hope you liked this chapter as well!**

**MaMcMu: Thank you for still reading!**

**Malfel: Hello and thank you for reading! I'm happy Leflin is coming across well! **

**Torsa: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the characters! Leflin would only say it to Ria's with Hunter in the same room for maximum effectiveness. **

* * *

**There are currently four character drawings on the Phoenix Refuge tumblr. I plan to draw Evander and Catie next. After that, I don't know who I'll draw so let me know if there's anyone, in particular, you'd like to see.**

**I also made a floor plan for the guild to help keep it straight when I'm writing it. It is very basic, but I'm willing to post it if people want to see the layout. I might draw the actual building at some point as well.**

****Thank you all for reading! Whether you leave a review on every chapter or just silently follow along, know that I appreciate every one of you.****

****I'll be back within** the next two weeks!**


	10. The Snakebite

**Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_Two bit sniper_

_Kiss the viper_

_Lie in wait as you take the bait_

_Feel you getting nearer_

_And I'm coiled up aiming to bite_

_~Snakebite - Judas Piest~_

* * *

_Chapter Eight: The Snakebite_

* * *

_~March 20th, x800~_

* * *

Craish coughs, waiting for the dust and rubble to clear the air before moving; he can feel all the weight his reinforced shield is supporting, but he can't be sure just how precarious their situation is from that alone. Beside him, Hunter shifts and hisses in pain.

"Damn it," he says. "He used his shadow as a decoy."

The dust finally settles, and Craish turns his lantern back on to assess the damage. They're entombed in the rock. The only thing keeping them from being crushed is the forcefield his shield creates. He doubts they would have survived without it.

"How are we gonna get out of this mess?" Hunter asks, though Craish can tell the question is mostly directed at himself. "Are you okay?"

Craish nods, then points at Hunter's leg. His pants are ripped and wet with blood.

"It's a pretty shallow wound," Hunter says, "I'll be fine. The sooner we get out of here the better, though."

Craish taps the rock wall behind him, and Hunter can make out light peeking through the cracks.

"That's our way out, then?" Hunter asks and Craish nods again. "You've got a plan?"

Craish rocks his hand back and forth in a "so-so" manner and indicates that Hunter should trade places with him. After he manages to hand off the shield without either of them getting squashed in the process, Craish takes a closer look at the cave in; the rocks are packed tightly together, and if he's not careful about how he breaks through, he'll destabilize the pile.

Satisfied with his analysis, Craish summons a pickaxe from his Requip space, activating the "strength" and "harden" runes on the handle. Using the pick end, he chips at the rocks until he's able to form a small hole. He can almost see through to the other side, so he takes a bigger swing with the chisel end. The rock shatters on impact.

Craish waits a moment, either for Racer to attack them again or for the wall to collapse even further, but nothing happens. He keeps going, working from top to bottom and carefully tapping on each rock and watching for any sign of movement. When he's certain destroying it won't affect the wall, he smashes it to bits. It's slow going, but eventually, Craish manages to carve out a hole just big enough for both of them to squeeze through.

However, his shield's forcefield is the only thing supporting the rocks above them. If they try to leave with it, everything will come crumbling down. Craish has an idea, but he's not sure just how well it will work. Still, it's worth a try. He takes his pickaxe and starts digging into the ground. It's very hard and takes him a while until he's gouged out a hole that's big enough for the bottom of the shield to fit in. Hunter, having caught on, helps him partially bury it. Now that the shield is lower, however, so is the forcefield and the rocks fill the void it was once in the blink of an eye. The forcefield flickers at the new pressure but holds steady.

They let go of the shield slowly. It stands on its own, but Craish can tell it's starting to shift. They need to hurry.

Hunter climbs out first. Despite what he told Craish, the cut on his shin is painful, and he has to bite back his reaction when he ultimately bumps into the rocks. By the time he's made it to the other side, his whole leg is throbbing and he needs to lean on the wall to keep him upright.

Craish returns the pickaxe to his Requip space before he also crawls through the hole. With his armor, it's a tighter fit. It's taking him longer than he thought it would to scrape through, and the sound of the rocks raking against his armor is awful, like nails on a chalkboard. When he's managed to get halfway through, he hears the unmistakable clang of his shield falling to the ground.

With all his strength, Craish forces himself the rest of the way, his armor making a sound like the death cry of a wounded animal. He crashes to the floor as the cave collapses further behind him. Even the hole he just climbed through is gone.

"That was close," Hunter says, helping him stand.

Craish agrees and winces as he looks down at his armor. It's covered in scratches and dents that'll take him hours to repair. He recalls his shield, breathing a sigh of relief when he feels it return.

"We need to get to Leflin and Ria," Hunter says, testing the mobility of his leg. It hurts like hell, but he can still use it. "If he went after us, he probably went after them too."

Craish nods, and together they run down the tunnel. Up ahead is a bend in the tunnel, one that creates the perfect spot for someone to ambush them, and Hunter slows down. He can hear footsteps running towards them. Bracing himself, Hunter steps into the path ready to fight.

* * *

The pile of the dead snakes flashes through Ria's mind as she and Leflin run through the tunnel Craish and Hunter took. Her stomach rolls and her eyes sting with the tears she's forcing away. It just doesn't make sense to her why anyone would go through the trouble of killing them all, let alone in such a painful way. It didn't look like they'd been dead long either.

_And if that's what they're willing to do to the snakes, just what could they be doing to Hunter and Craish? _She thinks. Unbidden, the image of her friends lying dead in their own blood invade her thoughts and spurs her to run even faster.

A bend in the tunnel comes up, creating a blindspot, but Ria rushes past it without reserve. Someone steps into her path, and she collides with them at full speed.

She jumps back, ready to strike, but it's just Hunter standing in his own attack position. Relief floods her, mixing with the adrenaline still pumping through her veins, and Ria launches herself at him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck.

Hunter stumbles back a bit at the impact, then stands paralyzed as Ria does her best to squeeze the life out of him. After a moment, he stiffly pats Ria's back, not really knowing what else to do.

Just as quickly as she initiated it, Ria ends the embrace and makes a beeline for Craish. Having seen what happened to Hunter, Craish is fully prepared and accepts Ria's hug with one of his own.

With a look of deep sympathy, Leflin pats Hunter on the shoulder.

"Looks like you've got yourself a love rival," he says. "I'd tell you I'm rooting for you, but based on that performance, I think Craish is winning."

"Do you ever shut up?" Hunter glares, though the effect isn't as strong with the slight blush on his face.

"Not really, no." Leflin looks down at Hunter's shin. "What happened to your leg?"

It doesn't take too long for Hunter to explain the run-in he and Craish had with Racer, and Ria and Leflin share their near-miss with Bandy.

"That Racer guy said he had you two cornered," Ria says. "He came to get Bandy to help finish you off."

"He trapped us in an alcove," Hunter says. "I assumed he thought he'd dealt with us and was going to find you two."

"They had a headstart on us," Leflin says. "One of us should have run into them. Where are they now?"

"Up here," Racer says as he and Bandy fall from the roof. "You were having such a sweet reunion, we thought we'd give you a moment to-"

Hunter doesn't let him finish and socks Racer right in the face. There's a satisfying crunch, and Hunter knows he broke his nose.

Racer stumbles back, hands on his face. Beside him, Bandy looks stunned.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for your bullshit," Hunter says. "Let's just get this over and done with."

"Fine," Racer drops his hands. The red of his blood is stark against his otherwise monochromatic face. A mass of shadows congregates behind him, manifesting angry spikes and thorns. "We'll do it your way. Attack."

The shadows break in two.

One half launches itself at Craish, who barely manages to draw his sword. He slices through the mass, and when that does little damage, activates the "fire" rune on his sword's hilt; it emits a bright red aura as flames engulf the blade. Another swing at the shadows have them shrinking away from the light the fire creates. Craish begins to push the shadows back, but a few of them get brave and make a jab at his side and swipe at his legs. He manages to block them, but another creeps around him and stabs him in the back. His armor protects him, but the blow knocks the wind out of him. He recovers in time to block another blow, then another and another. The shadows are rapid-fire, coming at him over and over again without rest.

Meanwhile, the other half of the shadows engage Leflin. He dodges their initial attack, and they slam into the ground, leaving a small crater where he once stood.

"That looks like it would hurt," Leflin says, dodging another blow. "I guess we'll just have to play a game of tag now, won't we?"

In the blink of an eye, he drops to all fours as his body morphs into that of a dark grey wolf. He bows in a playful position and barks at the mass of shadows, enticing it to chase him. The shadow strikes out at him, and he easily jumps out of its range.

As Leflin teases the shadows, Bandy sets her sight on Ria, tackling her to the ground.

"Ow!" Ria winces as Bandy pins her to the ground, gripping her wrists so hard she thinks they'll break. Ria tries to shake her off, but the woman is much stronger than her. This close, Ria can see the choker on Bandy's neck; the pendant of a black snake rearing back to strike rests in the center. Ria's seen that mark before.

"Your eyes," Bandy says, leaning close to her, "they're not nearly as pretty as Marcy's. Your skin and your hair aren't dark enough, either. I know it's not your fault. It's because of that tainted blood running through your veins. Don't worry though, _Sirenita. _There's magic that can fix that." Bandy presses her forehead to Ria's with a sigh. "Everything else about you is perfect."

Ria spits in Bandy's face and jams her knee into her stomach. Bandy rolls off her with a gasp, and Ria jumps to her feet. She aims a kick at Bandy's head, but the woman dodges it with a roll and leaps to her own feet.

"You fight dirty." Bandy laughs. "That's good! I'm glad that dog wasn't able to temper your spirit!"

"I can only assume that by 'dog' you mean my father. You should know that he's the one who taught me how to fight." Ria fires a blast of water straight at Bandy's eyes.

"No wonder you lack finesse." Bandy holds up her hand and the water freezes. She snatches the ice out of the air and lobs it at Ria.

While Ria dodges the icicle, Racer throws a punch at Hunter, grazing his jaw. Hunter rolls with the hit, ducking and aiming a jab at Racer's ribs. Racer blocks the attack with his forearm and returns it with a kick directed at Hunter's head.

Hunter grabs his foot with both hands and pushes it back. Racer lunges for him and they clasp hands, grappling for a bit.

"Why aren't you using your magic?" Racer asks. "All of your friends are."

"Why should I waste it on you?" Hunter pushes Racer away but the man grabs his arm and shoves up his sleeve, revealing the lachrima embedded in Hunter's wrist.

"You can only use a little of it before your run out, am I correct?" Racer lets Hunter yank his arm back, dodging Hunter's next blow. "I've seen magic like this before. You should know that the human body was not meant to sustain the use of heavenly light. I guarantee it'll be your undoing."

"Don't presume to know anything about me," Hunter says. He slugs Racer in the gut with three quick jabs, adding a quick uppercut before the man has a chance to recover.

Racer tries jumping back to get some breathing room, but Hunter sticks close to him. The man swings at Hunter's head, but he ducks out of reach and throws two punches of his own, one aimed at Racer's chest and the other at his chin. The man stumbles back, losing his balance and Hunter takes the advantage to land hit after hit wherever he can reach.

While Racer manages to block some of his punches, Hunter doesn't let up. He forces the man to take step after step back until his back is flush with the cave wall.

"Got you," Hunter says, lifting his arm. "Himmel's Beam!" A holy beam of light pours from his palm right into Racer's face.

The man shouts, crumpling to the floor and trying to shield his face with his arms. Once the light fades, however, his pained shout morphs into a cackle.

"Let me guess," he says, staggering to his feet, "you only have one shot left, right?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Hunter drives a quick punch in the side of Racer's head and watches the man fall to the floor with a thud.

With Racer knocked out, his shadows dissipate, and Bandy gets distracted long enough for Ria to sweep her off her feet. Craish runs to Ria's aid, pinning Bandy to the floor.

* * *

After they've tied Bandy and Racer up with enough rope to make the two look like they're in cocoons, Leflin leads them to a small chamber the ranger's marked on the map as a supply depot.

While Leflin and Craish pick through the supplies for food and water, Ria cleans up Hunter's leg the best she can with the first aid kit, which consists entirely of a near-empty roll of gauze, some tape, and three alcohol pads.

"This'll sting a little," she says, dabbing at the wound with an alcohol pad. Hunter hisses a bit at the pain but keeps his leg still.

"What's the damage, Doc?" He asks.

"In my completely amateur opinion," Ria says as she begins to wrap it, "your leg will be fine. If I was you, I'd worry more about that bruise on your jaw."

Hunter lightly traces his finger over his chin. "He got me pretty good, huh?"

"Not any worse than you got him," Leflin says, tossing a canteen of water at Hunter. Craish hands another one to Ria.

"Thanks," she says, taking a long drink. "So what are we gonna do now?"

"I guess we'll have to drag them up to the surface and let Sergeant Astra deal with them," Hunter says.

"We could also try seeing if they'll fit through the transporter nets," Leflin suggests. "Will it work differently on humans? It was designed for animals, after all."

"How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"I wasn't asking you."

As Hunter and Leflin begin to bicker, Ria turns to face their captives, jumping back a bit when she sees Bandy is already looking at her. The woman smiles at her.

Leflin and Hunter's bickering has turned into a heated argument now, and Craish is standing in between them doing his best to act as the peacemaker. Ria takes advantage of their distracted states to approach Bandy slowly. As she gets closer, she can tell that Racer is not still unconscious as she'd assumed, but humming quietly to himself. It sounds familiar. She's not sure why.

"Hello, _Sirenita,_" Bandy says, keeping her voice low. "What brings you over here?"

"...You're part of the Serpent's Nest guild, aren't you?" Ria asks, and Bandy chuckles.

"We are. Would you like to see my guild mark? It's in a really _interesting_ place."

Racer's humming gets a little louder.

"Snakes are precious to your guild aren't they?" Ria asks. "Why would you… How could you…"

"Oh. You found the little ones, didn't you?" Bandy sighs. "It was a tragedy, but we couldn't let them fall into the hands of the Rune Knights. They would have had a fate worse than death with those dogs."

"What do you mean?"

Bandy just shakes her head. Racer's humming has turned into a soft singing now, but Ria can't make out the words. She's certain she's heard the melody, though.

"_Sirenita, _did they tell you why we came to this cave?" Bandy asks.

"They said you were after some rare animals."

"Not just any animals. This cave is home to one of the most beautiful snakes in the world: the Chandelier Snake."

"I've heard of those!" Ria says. "They're crystal-like snakes that hang from the ceiling and catch bats, right? I thought they could only be found in Alvarez."

"They used to be in caves all over Fiore, too, but they were hunted out of existence." Bandy scowls. "This is their last stronghold in the country and instead of being treated with the respect they deserve, they're paraded about as a tourist attraction. Isn't that awful?"

"It is," Ria says. Her head feels full of cotton. Racer's singing has gotten louder. "It's terrible."

"That's right. So we came here to save them. They'll have a good life with us." Bandy grins. "You see now? We're the good guys. You could have a good life with us too."

"I could," Ria agrees, even as she shakes her head. Racer's singing is loud enough for her to actually hear now, though she still can't make out the words for some reason. "That's a nice song."

There's a sharp pain in her ankle, but it feels distant.

"Isn't it? Racer has Snake Charmer Magic, you see. It makes all of his songs sound beautiful." Bandy leans in close. "If you untie us, _Sirenita, _we'll take you with us, and you'll be able to hear it forever. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Ria bends down to begin untying Bandy. "I would."

"Himmel's Flash!" Hunter yells.

Ria yelps as the light blinds her. Strong hands grab her shoulders and yank her back, and she starts kicking and screaming trying to break free. She can't hear the song anymore. Her ankle feels like it's on fire.

"Snap out of it!" Hunter says, struggling to get Ria under control. Craish has to end up helping him.

Leflin kicks Racer down and steps on his chest.

"Cancel your spell," he demands. "Release her."

Racer laughs. "My spell ended the second you distracted her. She's not acting that way because of me. Why don't you take a closer look at her ankle?"

Craish, who is pinning down Ria's legs, checks both her ankles but sees nothing out of the ordinary. No, wait. Her right ankle seems a bit swollen and red. He tries to touch it, but a burst of light shines as the pearlescent scales of a white snake come into sight; its fangs are buried deep in Ria's skin.

"Tell me that isn't what I think it is!" Leflin pushes Craish aside and grabs Ria's leg. The snake hisses at him and digs its fangs further into Ria's skin. "This is bad!"

"Why?" Hunter asks. "What is that?"

Leflin looks at him with desperate eyes even as Racer's laugh grows louder.

"It's an Ivory Serpent."

* * *

Back at the guild, Razi holds a piece of banana out to Avon, who gives a little sigh and turns in a circle before plopping down on the floor.

"See?" Razi says. "He hasn't eaten anything since Ria left. I'm worried."

Ajax pats Razi on the head.

"Bard Beetles are known to form strong emotional bonds very quickly. Some people even believe they can sense when their masters are in danger. He's just a little depressed because he misses her."

"But he needs to eat!" Razi pouts. "Ria told me to take care of him and she'll be so sad if he dies!"

"Two days without food won't kill him. Bard Beetles are hardy creatures." Ajax picks Avon up. "Ria will be back before you know it. Hang in there, little guy."

Avon starts to whistle forlornly.

* * *

**Sorry, this chapter was a little late. As I'm sure you're all aware, life has been crazy.**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Malfel: ****Hello! I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you liked this one as well.**

**SimpleStories24: ****Hello and thanks for reading! I always enjoy reading your predictions, though I won't confirm or deny too much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!**

**MaMcMu: Thank you for reading! I will add Blue to my list!**

**Torsa: Yup. This isn't what they signed up for. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

* * *

****I'll be back within** the next two weeks!**


	11. The Lie

** Thank you so much for reading!**

* * *

_Don't meet their eyes it's hypnotic_

_Make you forget that it's toxic_

_Caught up in all the chaotic_

_Sold you a lie and you bought it_

_Before you know it you're nauseous_

_Hands down your throat 'til you vomit_

_Collapse from all the exhaustion_

_And now they got what they wanted_

_~Venom - Icon For Hire~_

* * *

_Chapter Nine: The Lie_

* * *

_~March 20th, x800~_

It's the first time Hunter has ever seen an Ivory Serpent, and the way it's scales catch the light, shifting between white and pink and gold, is stunning. It leaves him feeling breathless. Or maybe that's just the panic and dread filling his chest as Leflin speaks its name. Everyone at Phoenix Refuge knows the circumstances of Lina Cinerus' death, after all.

Echoing off the walls of the cavern, Racer's laughter grows louder and louder. The sound makes Hunter's blood boil. He tightens his hold on Ria. She's stopped struggling against him, her screams giving way to pitiful, quiet cries.

"It hurts," she sobs. Her hair sticks to the sweat beading on her forehead. Her eyes are unfocused and cloudy.

Heat pulses against Hunter's chest, and he pulls out the necklace Director Vega gave him only hours ago. The attached lachrima is almost buzzing and glows a deep red reminiscent of a sunset.

"What's that?" Leflin asks.

"Director Vega gave it to me. It'll tell her we need help and where to find us." Hunter activates the lachrima, and it starts to beep as it blinks from red to blue.

"Lot of good it'll do," Leflin says. "By the time they find us, it'll be too late for anyone to do anything."

'What can we do in the meantime?' Craish asks, practically waving his pocketbook in Leflin's face.

"Not much. Keep her lifted against you, Hunter," Leflin says, "we want her heart to remain elevated above the wound. That'll buy us some time, at least. More importantly, we need to make this damned thing release her." He tries to touch the snake, but it winds itself tight around Ria's leg.

She gives a weak whimper.

And Racer is still laughing. It's more of a cackle now, though, as if nothing in the world is more entertaining the slow and painful death Ria is facing.

Something in Hunter snaps.

"Craish. Take Ria for a bit," he says. Without hesitation, Craish kneels down beside him and gently cradles Ria against his chest. For once, Leflin keeps quiet, choosing to see what Hunter plans to do.

Slowly, Hunter approaches Racer. The man's hood has fallen back, revealing his milky white eyes and stringy black hair. When Hunter stands less than half a foot away, he stops laughing and gives a grin that's more like a wolf baring its teeth.

"Can I help you?" He asks.

Hunter strikes him across the face and kicks him to the ground. The man slams down with a thud, and grunts as Hunter steps on his chest. A trickle of blood leaves the corner of his mouth.

"Tell us how to save her," Hunter demands.

Racer starts to chuckle again, but Hunter just presses down harder on his chest until he struggles to breathe.

"No one on this planet has survived the bite of an Ivory Serpent," Racer chokes out. "She's not so special as to beat those odds. She'll perish just like every other mortal. The kindest thing you could do is put her out of her misery."

Hunter stomps down on Racer's hand. The crack of broken bones is drowned out by Racer's yell.

"Tell us…" He grinds down his heel. "How…" He lifts his foot. "To save her!" He stomps down again with as much force as he can muster, and Racer screams.

"You could try cutting off her leg before the venom reaches her heart," Bandy says. Her voice is far too calm to be suggesting such a thing. She almost sounds bored, and Hunter would believe she was unaffected if not for the way she stares, hyper-focused on Ria. "You'll need to do it soon, though, before the seizures start."

"Would that actually work?" Hunter asks, turning to Leflin.

"Maybe," Leflin says. "If we cut her leg off at the knee, I'd say we have about a twenty-five percent chance of saving her life. She'll be at a high risk of infection, and we won't have much time to staunch the blood flow before she bleeds out."

"What other options do we have?"

"Hope that Director Vega sends us someone with powerful and ancient healing magic. The chances of which are close to zero."

"That's it?"

"No one has managed to create antivenom for the Ivory Serpent, so yes. That's it."

"She's running out of time, Boys," Bandy says. "What's it going to be?"

From where he stands, Hunter can see the roselike bruise already blooming on Ria's ankle.

"Twenty-five percent is better than zero," he says and Leflin agrees. "Craish, do you have a sword sharp enough to get the job done?"

Begrudgingly, Craish nods his head. He draws his sword and activates the fire rune. Its blade emits flames at once.

"Good idea. If we can cauterize her wound immediately, we'll at least be able to get her out of here alive." Leflin takes a deep breath. "Help me hold her still, Hunter."

Ria is once more handed off to Hunter, who cradles her close; her lips have started turning blue and her breathing is coming in quick little pants as if her lungs aren't able to get enough air. She seems to be in a stupor. Hopefully, she's so out of it that she won't feel them amputating her leg.

Just in case she does, Hunter wraps his arms tight around her to keep her from struggling and hurting herself more.

"In order to cause the least amount of pain and damage, we want to take it off with one swing, okay?" Leflin says to Craish.

Looking from Ria's leg to his sword to the snake still biting down on her ankle, Craish sets his jaw and nods.

"Alright. On the count of three. One…"

Leflin pins down Ria's feet.

"Two…"

Craish raises his sword.

"Three!"

The blade swings down and makes contact with Ria's leg.

Or it would have, if not for the forcefield emanating from the Ivory Serpent wrapped around her. Instead, Craish's sword bounces back without leaving so much as a scratch, followed closely by a flash of bright light and a loud crack.

Leflin and Craish are both blinded by the light, but Hunter is able to maintain enough of his vision to watch as a group of shadowy hands emerge from a fissure in the cave floor. They wrap around first Racer than Bandy and drag them down into the earth.

"Tik Tok," Bandy says right before her head disappears into the darkness, the ground sewing back up behind her.

Hunter looks back down at Ria and swears; the bruises have traveled up her thigh.

"Guys! We've got a problem!" He shouts.

Leflin rubs his eyes, blinking away the blurriness until he can at least see a little.

"Damn," he says. "We'll need to amputate higher."

"How much higher?"

"At the hip-joint, it seems."

Craish waves to get their attention then touches his sword gently to Ria's skin. With another flash of light, it bounces back.

"What the Hell is going on?!" Hunter yells.

"I don't know!" Leflin shouts back. "I've never seen anything like this!"

"Well, what should we do?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"Why are you guys yelling?" Ria asks hoarsely, rousing slightly. She tries to sit up straighter, wincing at the pain in her leg. She looks down at her ankle and sees the snake wound around her with its fangs buried in her skin. "Oh. That's not good."

"Don't panic, Ria," Leflin says. "We can fix this."

"I'm not panicking," Ria says. Hunter's grip has loosened enough that it's easy for Ria to reach down with shaky fingers. She brushes against its delicate scales, and the snake hisses as it bites down harder. She grimaces but keeps moving until her fingers touch the back of the snake's head. Lightly, she strokes right behind its eyes and with what's almost a shutter the snake releases her.

Ria gently glides her fingers from the snake's head to it's back, the serpent's body arching up to maintain the contact.

"Look at you," she croons. "You're absolutely skin and bones. How long have you been down here by yourself?" With both hands, she picks up the snake. It hisses at her a bit. "None of that now. You know I won't hurt you. Come on." She opens her shirt. "Get in. I know you're probably freezing." The snake hisses once more before sliding into the collar of Ria's shirt and nestling against her chest.

Ria remembers she's not alone and is taken aback by the shocked looks her guildmates are giving her.

"Why do you all look like I've come back from the dead?" She asks.

"Was I wrong?" Leflin grabs Ria's shoulder. "Was that not an Ivory Serpent? Why aren't you in unbearable agony?"

"No. That was definitely an Ivory Serpent." Ria leans back with a sigh. "But it was a baby, and the babies can't produce venom."

"Then what's going on with your leg?" Hunter asks.

"My leg?" Ria lifts it to get a better look. "Oh. That's not from the snake. The pattern is all wrong."

"What is it, then?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," Ria closes her eyes, feeling nauseous. Bile rises up her throat, and she pushes herself away from Hunter just in time to avoid vomiting all over him. Once her stomach is empty, she finds herself dry heaving. Craish is rubbing circles into her back and hands her a water bottle.

Ria thanks him and uses it to rinse the taste from her mouth. She feels dizzy, lying on the floor.

"I think I'll take a nap," she says, checking that the Ivory Serpent is still tucked against her. It is.

"Wait. Ria! Don't fall asleep!" Leflin says, but his voice is so far away, Ria can't be bothered to listen to him.

"Don't touch my snake, or I'll kill you," she mumbles, drifting into unconsciousness.

* * *

_When Ria was six years old, she found a snake in her family's garden. It was small, no bigger than a pencil, and covered in wounds. When Ria, picked it up, it was cold to the touch and barely reacted. Gently, she tucked it into her shirt and snuck it inside. Snakes were not allowed in their home. Her mother despised them, and her father wasn't much better, but Ria didn't understand why. Ria thought snakes were beautiful. She'd wanted one for as long as she could remember._

_Ria brought the snake to her room. Catie sat on her own bed, reading, and didn't pay her much mind. Ria was careful to keep the snake hidden as she lied down facing the wall. She checked on the snake, happy to see that it was already starting to warm up. It looked more alert too. _

_"Hello," she whispered. "I'm your mommy now."_

_The snake flicked it's tongue out at her in response. Ria smiled and petted it through her shirt. Or tried too. __Startled, the snake hissed loudly before sinking its teeth into her chest. Ria yelped._

_"What's wrong?" Catie asked. _

_"Nothing," Ria said, fighting back tears. She felt woozy and sick to her stomach, but if Catie saw the snake, she'd tell their parents, and Ria would have to get rid of it. _

_The snake released her and bit down in another spot. Ria cried out again and Catie ran to her. It was hard to breathe now, and there was a burning pain in her chest._

_What happened next is a blur. Ria only remembered Catie calling for their dad. _

_When she woke up, her mother was crying, holding her close. Her chest still hurt. She felt exhausted. _

_"She'll be fine now, won't she?" Her mother asked._

_"Yes," said her father. "After a few days of rest."_

_"Why do you still look so worried then?"_

_"...This means she's inherited it as well. I hoped that her affinity for your magic meant she'd been spared."_

_"It saved her, _mi sol_."_

_"I know," her father sighed and rested his hand on her forehead. "But what did it take away from her, in return?"_

_No one ever told_ Ria_ what happened to the snake. _

* * *

_~March 24th, x800~_

* * *

The smell of antiseptic and bright overhead lights are not a part of a pleasant morning, in Ria's opinion. She groans and throws an arm over her eyes to block out the light. She has no idea what time it is, but it's too early, for sure.

Something tickles her chin, but she ignores it. Whatever it is doesn't give up though, and after a few more tries Ria finally opens her eyes. What greets her is the face of the Ivory Serpent scenting her.

"Hello, Little," she says. Her voice is a raspy mess and her throat hurts. "Good to see you looking better."

With a yawn, Ria sits up, cradling the snake close to her chest. She's in a tiny hospital room, the only other furniture beside her bed a stiff chair currently occupied by a slumbering Craish in full armor. He does not look comfortable.

The door to the room has been left open a crack, and there are a pair of voices whispering on the other side. On her chest, the snake wiggles. Ria lets it crawl into her hospital gown and soak in the warmth from her skin.

"You need a name," she says. "But I'm too tired to think of one right now."

Ria lies down and before she knows it, she's back asleep.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Ria wakes again. The room is darker this time, so she's pretty sure it's night now, and instead of Craish in the chair, Hunter sits, dozing lightly. She can feel the snake still against her chest.

Ria sits up, and the bed creaks with her movement. Hunter startles awake at the noise, looking ready for a fight. Once his eyes settle on Ria, he relaxes.

"Hi," she says. Her voice still sounds awful.

"You're finally awake," he says, rubbing his eyes.

"How long was I out for?"

"About four days." Hunter gets out of his seat, and moves to stand beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Very tired, sore, and thirsty." Ria coughs as if to emphasize her last point. "Otherwise, I'm okay."

"That's good." Hunter swallows and rubs the back of his head. "I can go find you some water or ice or something."

"That'd be great," Ria says, "but can you tell me what happened first? Where are Leflin and Craish?"

"Are you sure?" Hunter asks, sighing when Ria nods. "Alright, well after you passed out on us, we had to carry you out of the cave. We ran into the team Director Vega sent to help us about halfway through, and they gave you first aid. You were in shock. Once you were stable enough to move, we rushed to get you out of the cave. There was an emergency raft waiting, but it was only big enough to fit you and the medic, so I don't know much about what happened after they got you across the lake. Leflin swam across on his own and went with you, but Craish and I had to wait for them to get a proper boat. You were brought to the hospital in Jessamine but by the time you arrived, they couldn't find anything actually wrong with you, except that you were physically and magically exhausted. The doctor told us we just had to let you sleep it off, basically. Craish and I have been taking turns watching over you, and Leflin's been researching everything he can about Ivory Serpents. He keeps complaining about the library in town and the limited information they have, though. Apparently he can't find a single mention of Ivory Serpent hatchlings."

"He probably never will. Not too much is known about hatchlings since most people only see them as adults." Ria coughs, closing her eyes. "Can you get me that water now, please?"

"Of course. I'll be right back."

Once Hunter is gone, the Ivory Serpent pops its head out from Ria's hospital gown. She sighs and gives it a quick scratch.

"It's going to be a lot of work to keep you," Ria says. "We're lucky this town doesn't have much info about you. Do you know just how many books I'm going to need to destroy in Barberry?" The snake flicks out her tongue, and Ria lowers her voice. "I'll make sure you stay safe, but you have to promise never to bite anyone but me, okay?"

In response, the snake loops around Ria's neck and gently nuzzles against her chin.

"I'm glad you understand," Ria says. "...I think I'll call you Isis. How does that sound?"

Isis doesn't react, merely nodding off around Ria's neck. Ria chuckles and pats Isis' side gently, waiting for Hunter to return.

* * *

Fog covers the ocean, masking the presence of a large ship with black sails not far from the northernmost coast of Fiore. In the fog, it's silent, even the sounds of the ocean itself muted. Leaning over the edge of the ship, Bandy stares into the distance. She's not looking at anything in particular. As far as she can see, there's only fog.

"Enough with your pouting," Racer says. "We'll be arriving in Seven soon. Help me prepare the Chandelier Snakes."

"Is _Sirenita_ really okay?" Bandy asks.

"I've told you she'll be perfectly fine several times already."

"You said Marcy would be fine too," Bandy sighs. "And she died."

"She would have survived if she'd done as I told her!" Racer barked. "It was her own fault for being a stubborn fool!"

Bandy ignores him, sighing once more as she continues to gaze at nothing. Racer pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Fine. After the trade, we'll check on Victoria. You can see for yourself that she's alive and well. We'll be in Barberry, anyway."

"Yay!" Bandy giggles, twirling around on the deck. "Oh! I'm so excited! I'll need to buy a new dress for sure!"

"Enough frivolity. Now isn't the time. We still have much to do." Racer heads below deck while Bandy continues to dance around.

"Oh, Marcy! Oh, _Sirenita_! We'll be together soon!" With a swoon, she lies on the deck, her hands stretched towards the sky. "Finally! _Finally_! Everything is falling into place! Just as Master said!"

She lies there, gazing up at the fog for a long while, not once noticing the hours slip by.

* * *

Back at the Phoenix Refuge infirmary, Evander watches Apolla perform diagnostic spells over the girl he found in the woods. He rests his chin in his hands while the book he's been reading to her sits open on top of his head. Once the lights for the spell dissipate, Apolla writes down some notes. Her face doesn't give anything away.

"You're sure there isn't anything wrong with her?" He asks. "It's almost been a week. Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"Physically, she's fine. Even her bronchitis is gone."

"Then why isn't she waking up?"

"She's in a magically induced coma. I don't know who placed it on her or why, but she won't -or rather can't- wake up until whatever conditions the spell requires are met."

"What kind of conditions?"

"I don't know. Only the caster knows." She sighs, scribbling more on her notebook. "I don't have much experience with these kinds of spells though. I've already recommended to Ajax that we send her to a specialty hospital in Crocus."

"Oh," says Evander. "What he'd say?"

"He'd like to wait another week before attempting it. Moving her too early could do more harm than good, after all."

"Right."

"Why don't you try kissing her, Ev? She's probably just waiting for her prince charming," Silver teases as she walks into the room. Evander flips her off, and the girl laughs.

"Silver, what brings you in today?" Apolla asks.

"I just wanted to get your opinion on a mission I'm taking. You're pretty good when it comes to forced transformations, right?"

"Actually, yes. I am. What did you want to know?"

"It's kind of complicated. Why don't you come look at the request with us, and you can tell me your thoughts."

"Who's 'us?'" Evander asks.

"Me, Blue and Razi." Silver sighs. "I wanted Leflin to come too, but he's still out. Weren't those guys supposed to be back already?"

"Who knows? They're probably having a hard time convincing Ria not to bring all the snakes they find back with them."

"That sounds like a chore. So, are you gonna help me, Apolla?"

"Alright. I'll be right back Evander, let me know if anything changes." Apolla says as she follows Silver out of the room.

Once they're gone, Evander sighs and tugs on Eris' long hair. It really does make him think of Calypso.

"So? What's your deal? What exactly are you waiting for?" He asks. When she obviously doesn't answer, he sighs again. "Yeah. I don't know what I'm waiting for either." He takes the book off of his head. "Let's pick up where we left off then, I guess..." He clears his throat.

"The knight climbed the ivy-covered tower, drawn to the beautiful singing voice within. At the top, he peeked through the small window, which was blocked by bars made of iron. Once his eyes landed on the fair maiden within, he was instantly in love."

Evander, caught up in his reading, missed the way the girl's hand twitched.

* * *

**Something about this chapter feels off to me. I'm not at all satisfied with it, but I also don't want to postpone posting it any longer. I'll probably come back and edit it in the near future, but it'll do for now. **

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**SimpleStories24: ****Hello and thank you for reading! As always, I enjoyed your review! As you can see, some of your predictions came true. ****I'm looking forward to drawing Blue, though I haven't quite gotten around to any drawings recently. I have a couple of relationships planned, but not all of them are set in stone. **

**Torsa: ****Thank you for reading! As you can see, both Ria and her leg were spared. When I was first planning this chapter, I debated actually cutting Ria's leg off but in the end, it didn't fit with my plans for the rest of the story. **

* * *

**The next chapter is the start of the Nobleman Mission with Bors, Henry and Catie. I have the first chapter mostly written, so it should be posted within the next week. **


	12. The Town

**Thank you for reading!**

* * *

_Too small to be lying_

_Way too small to cheat_

_Way too small for secrets_

_'Cause they're way too hard to keep_

_~This Town - Kacey Musgraves~_

* * *

_Chapter Ten: The Town_

* * *

_~March 20th, x800~_

Grass and leaves are crushed beneath horses hooves as a carriage gallops through tightly packed woods. There's no path to follow, and little light guides the driver. He must keep a watchful eye or risk a crash. Up ahead, a log blocks the way. With no room to maneuver around it, the driver tightens his grip on the reigns. His horses jump it effortlessly, and the carriage, enchanted to mirror their actions, follows.

The motion causes the carriage to rock so severely Catie snaps out of the light doze she'd been taking as she nearly falls off her seat. Only Bors' grip on her arm keeps her steady.

"Thank you," Catie says. She rights herself on the seat.

Bors simply nods and goes back to the small piece of wood and knife in his hands. When they started this journey, it was just a block, but Catie can see the beginning shape of what looks like a deer taking shape.

Across from her, Henry fiddles with a small, metal orb. It's filled with gears, and Catie watches him line them up in no particular order she can make out. After a few minutes, Henry digs into his pocket and pops a lollipop into his mouth. This is probably the twentieth one of the day, but Catie lost track.

Rubbing her eyes, she looks out the window and frowns. It's hard to tell what time it is, but they've been on the road for half a day. Her legs feel cramped and sore. She wishes she'd brought a book with her, but she doubts she would have been able to focus on it. Catie covers her mouth as she yawns. At the rate they're traveling, they could have taken the train first thing in the morning. Then she would have been able to at least get a couple of hours of sleep. With a sigh, she pulls out the letter Captain Achilles wrote.

'_On the fifteenth of March, x800, Nobleman Julius Gaius was murdered in the streets of his hometown of Hemlock. Despite the time of death being midday, and the murder occurring in the middle of town, the residents claim no knowledge of what happened.'_

"How does a man get murdered in broad daylight with no witnesses?" Catie mumbles to herself.

"Obviously, he doesn't," Henry says. "Someone saw something. They're just keeping their mouths shut."

"Why? What's the point of keeping quiet?" Catie asks.

"Fear, maybe," says Bors. "The one who killed the nobleman may have threatened the witnesses."

"Or paid them off," Henry adds. "People will do just about anything for the right price."

"Maybe. I don't know. Everything about this request feels off," Catie says.

The horses whinny as the carriage pulls to a sudden halt.

"This is as far as I take you," the driver calls. Once more, Catie looks out the window, but all she can see are the train tracks.

"Is this Hemlock Town?" She asks.

"No, this is Calluna Station." Henry climbs out of the carriage. "Captain Adonis is supposed to meet with us here."

"I believe his name is Achilles," Bors says. Once he is out of the carriage, he turns and holds out his hand to Catie, helping her down.

"Thank you." Catie stretches, feeling her back pop. Her ribs still ache from her fighting off all those wyverns, and she winces. "Where are we meeting, exactly?"

"Didn't say." Henry shrugs. "We're a few minutes early though, so he might not even be here yet."

Bors crosses his arms and scowls.

"Your soldiers would be so undisciplined?" He asks.

"It's more likely that he's here already and watching us," Catie says. She continues stretching as she takes a careful look around; there are woods as far as the eye can see, and the only two buildings are the train station itself and a small cafe. She wonders how much business they could possibly see in such a remote location.

"Why?" Bors asks. "He does not trust us?"

"Who knows?" Catie smiles brightly and hooks her arms with Bors and Henry, drawing both men close. "For now, just play along with me. We're tourists on our way to Hemlock who stopped here for lunch. Doesn't that cafe look lovely?"

As Catie drags them along, Bors notices movement from the woods.

"Someone is following us," he warns.

"Do you know how many people there are?" Henry asks.

"I can't be certain, but at least two."

"Try not to look so tense," Catie says, starting to skip. "They'll notice we're onto them."

Bors relaxes his shoulders and shifts his arm so he's escorting Catie now. For his part, Henry pulls his arm from Catie's grasp.

"I'm not a dog, you know," he grumbles. "Don't go yanking me around."

"Sorry," Catie says. "I got carried away."

The sign on the door tells them they are about to enter the Calluna Cafe. The tinkle of a bell greets them at the door.

"Welcome in!" A woman waves from behind the counter. "Have a seat anywhere you'd like, and I'll be by to bring you menus shortly!"

It's a small dining area with just two tables, one booth, and a row of stools lined up at a breakfast bar; the only other person inside is a man wearing a worn-out trench coat snoring into his cup of coffee. Before they can decide where to sit, the bell rings again and the waitress calls out another welcome as a young man and woman enter.

"Sorry, we're late!" The young woman says, grabbing Catie's hands. "We had a bit of trouble getting through the crowd! The train was packed today!"

She's a petite woman in her early twenties, with long silver hair braided down her back and dark brown eyes to compliment her rich dark skin. She wears a lilac sundress with a pair of heeled sandals, and she still has to stand on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Catie's cheek.

"Captain Achilles sent us," she whispers before pulling back and announcing: "it's so good to see you! It feels like it's been forever!"

The young woman hugs Henry and Bors in turn, presumably giving them the same message.

"It really has been so long!" Catie says, turning to the young man. "Wasn't your brother supposed to join us? I was hoping to see him!"

The young man gives her a handsome smile. He's in his mid-twenties and of average height and build. His blonde hair rests and his shoulder and a pair of round spectacles slightly obscure his deep violet eyes. His skin is fair, and he wears a dark blue blazer over a burgundy turtleneck with a black pair of dress pants and brown shoes.

"Unfortunately, he couldn't get out of work in time," he says, bowing slightly. "He sends his apologies. However, I was able to pick up the book he promised to lend you on the way here. I hope that it is of some consolation."

He hands over a leather-bound book and shakes his head minutely when Catie makes to open it. She traces her fingers over the cover and presses it to her chest instead.

"I'm looking forward to reading it. Do you think he'd discuss it with me when I finish?"

"I'm sure he'd love to, but he'll be out of town on business for the rest of your stay."

"What a shame," Bors says, eyeing the young man carefully.

"I'd say." Henry crosses his arms. "Your 'brother' shouldn't make promises he can't keep."

"You'll have to forgive him," the young man says. "He's a very busy man."

Henry scoffs, and a heavy silence falls over them.

"Have you all ordered yet?" The young woman asks. "I'm starving! Let's sit down."

"You shouldn't have skipped breakfast this morning, Wren," the young man says, pulling out her chair.

"But Titus!" Wren pouts as she sits. "We were in a hurry!"

"That's no excuse," Titus says. He pulls out another chair and smiles at Catie. "For you, Miss."

"Oh. Thank you," Catie sits down with a slight blush. "That wasn't really necessary, though."

"Don't mind him." Wren grins. "Titus just loves playing the gentleman. He does a good job, too. You'd never guess-"

"Wren? Aren't you forgetting something?" Titus interrupts her.

"Am I? Oh yes! Here!" She pulls three train tickets out of her purse and passes them around. "The tickets you requested! It's a shame your train leaves in thirty minutes. I wanted to be able to catch up some more."

"We'll just have to make do with the time we have," Catie says. She picks up her ticket and frowns; it's for a round trip to Crocus, not Hemlock.

"Right you are!" Wren leans her head in her hand as she rests her elbow on the table. "Now, you'll never guess what happened yesterday!"

* * *

"If I ever see that woman again, I'm taping her mouth shut," Henry says as he rubs his temples.

"You have to admit it was kind of amazing," Catie says. She looks out the window of the train and waves to Titus and Wren as they begin to pull away. "I don't think she paused for breath once."

"It was hard to keep up with all her words," Bors says. "I believe I misunderstood. What was the importance of her missing sock?"

"It wasn't important in the slightest!" Henry snaps. "She rambled for thirty minutes about absolute nonsense! And it was in her dryer the whole time!"

"Then why purchase ten identical pairs?" Bors asks.

"How the hell should I know?!" Henry sighs. It feels like someone has taken a hammer to the inside of his skull. "Dammit! Just tell us what's in that stupid book they gave you!"

Catie swallows her laughter as she opens the book and scans the pages inside. "It looks like a file on the case, and everything they know so far." In the back is also a miniature communication lacrima. Catie taps it, and it glows.

"Good, they handed it off without a stitch." Answers a man in his thirties with dark, curly hair and slanted, grey eyes.

"I've got a bone to pick with you, Archimedes!" Henry snatches the lachrima and all but growls at it. "What was with the ruse?"

"My name is _Captain_ Achilles," the man snaps back. "You should remember my title if nothing else, Mr. Garneau. As for the 'ruse', it is imperative to your mission that no one in Hemlock knows you are associated with the Rune Knights in any way. They won't speak to you, otherwise."

"The people in Hemlock don't like Rune Knights?" Catie asks.

"They don't _trust_ us," Achilles says. "Any time someone on my team tries to interview anyone, they shut down. Everyone insists they know nothing and saw nothing, but they were all twenty feet away at the time of the incident."

"Everyone in town was nearby? Why?" Bors asks, leaning closer to the lachrima.

"There was a town meeting that day. Nobleman Gaius had called for it, though we haven't managed to learn why. In any case, he was the first to leave and was killed almost as soon as he stepped foot outside. He was shot three different times by three different guns and all those people expect me to believe not one of them witnessed or even heard it happening. I just don't get what they're hiding. I'm trying to help them!" Achilles sighs, and suddenly looks worn down. "We need you three to get them to open up to. I'm hoping the fact that you're in a guild will be enough to build a semblance of trust. I doubt they'll tell you the full truth, but even gossip and rumors will give us something to work with. "

"Hemlock isn't exactly a tourist town," says Henry. "Won't it seem suspicious that we're there? Especially since I'm assuming the place is crawling with Rune Knights."

"Don't worry. We'll be delaying the train for three days. No one will be allowed to enter or leave the town once you arrive. Fortunately, there are few people traveling in this direction this time of year. Unless they're heading to the capital, of course."

"So we were on our way to Crocus, but our train is being delayed and we must stay in town," Bors says.

"Precisely. Any other information you need is in the file. If you need help at all, contact me through this, and I'll be there to assist you right away. Now, any questions before I go?"

"Why are the Rune Knights interested in this case in the first place?" Catie asks. "It seems a bit out of your jurisdiction."

"That information is classified, but I suppose I can tell you one thing: Nobleman Gaius was a mage, and he specialized in Shield Magic. Normal bullets shouldn't have been able to pierce through his defenses, yet here we are."

The three mages fall silent, each of them absorbing the new information and what it might mean. Henry opens his mouth, about to ask more questions, but is interrupted by a loud bang coming from Captain Achilles end.

"We're back, Captain Seb!" Wren calls, throwing herself at the man and knocking him out of the picture. "Oh! Is that you, Phoenix Refuge? Titus! Look! Say 'Hi' to our friends!"

A distant "hello," is heard off-screen as Wren beams at them.

"Now I can finish telling you guys about my sock! So-"

Henry snatches the lacrima from Catie's hand and smashes it on the ground, panting heavily. Once he's realized what he's done, he starts gathering the pieces together.

"I can fix it, probably," he says. "And if I can't, well at least we won't be in danger of that woman's inane rambling. The sight of her nearly gave me a heart attack. If I never see her again, it'll be too soon."

Catie looks from Henry, grumbling as he assembles the broken lachrima, to Bors, just scowling at him in disapproval and can't help the burst of laughter that bubbles past her lips.

* * *

"So," Catie says, hiking her bag onto her shoulder. "This is Hemlock. Considering the name, I was expecting something a bit more… gothic? Gray perhaps?"

What she sees is a generic small town, complete with what seems to be a few houses, one general store, and a pub. The only person in sight, besides the Rune Knights canvassing the area, is an older man sweeping the porch in front of the pub. In the distance, a mansion sits atop a hill surrounded by what appears to be a golden gate, looming over the town. Catie can't help but frown at it; she's never been fond of such buildings.

"Have you ever seen a hemlock flower?" Henry asks, still trying to piece together the lachrima.

"Can't say that I have." Catie tears her gaze from the mansion and starts walking towards the pub. "I just know that they're poisonous."

"They're delicate and small white flowers," Henry explains.

"We refer to them as Lady's Lace where I come from." Bors offers.

Catie smiles up at him as she places her hand over her heart. "That's so cute."

"Don't forget that they can kill you, Cathy."

"Henry I've known you for years now. There's no way you can't remember my name." Catie narrows her eyes at him. "You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"

The man shrugs.

"Nah, it's just cuz I referred to you as Kid #1 for a while. Congratulations on graduating to an actual name, your siblings are still Kid #2 and #3."

"We should find a place to stay for the night," Bors says before Catie can start arguing.

"Good luck with that," says the sweeping man. "The Rune Knights have taken over the only inn as their base of operations. Damn leeches aren't even paying the owner, of course."

"Well that doesn't seem fair," Catie says, forcing her voice to sound absolutely indignant. Their mission officially starts now.

"First they shut down the train, now we can't even find a place to stay," Henry huffs. "Damn Rune Knights. They've always been a group of self-righteous assholes. Can't stand the lot of them."

Catie's pretty sure he means that.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why are there so many Rune Knights here?" Bors asks. His accent causes the man to stop his sweeping.

He takes in the three of them and frowns, his narrowed gaze bouncing back and forth from the men to Catie.

"Don't see a lot of foreigners in these parts," he says. "What brings you three to Hemlock?"

"We're on our way to Crocus for a mission, but we've been waylaid." Bors answers.

"Oh. You're all from a guild?" They nod. "Which one?"

"Phoenix Refuge!" Catie shows off the mark on her ribs. The man examines it with what appears to be his ever-present frown and shakes his head.

"Never heard of it," he says. Catie tries not to show how annoying she finds that.

"We're pretty small. It's located in Barberry."

"Ah, that harbor town by the Obsidian Mountain, right? I heard some rumors about a guild starting there." The man leans on his broom. "So the Rune Knights got you all stuck in Hemlock, huh? How long did they say?"

"Three days. We're gonna end up losing the job at this rate." Catie sniffles, her eyes shiny with tears. The old man rubs the back of his neck and clears his throat.

"Well, I can't help you with the train or with a place to stay, but you're welcome to come in and have a drink if you like."

"Really?" Catie grabs his hand with a smile. "Thank you so much!"

The man clears his throat again, his face turning a bit red.

"Not a problem at all, Miss. Come on in."

The three of them follow the man inside, surprised to see it full of life. All of the tables and most of the stools are full of people. It's so crowded; it feels like the whole town is there. They even spot kids, some chasing each other, others sitting quietly with their parents.

"You allow children in your pub?" Bors asks, stepping aside as a toddler nearly crashes into him.

"We didn't use to." The man shrugs. "But we've been having kids go missing. This is probably the safest spot in town, so families bring their children here during the day."

"Missing?" Catie asks as she takes a seat at the bar. That wasn't in the file. "Have you reported them? Is that why the Rune Knights are here?"

The man sitting next to her scoffs.

"The Rune Knights don't give a damn about a bunch of low-class kids disappearing." He slams back a beer. "The only reason they're even here is cuz someone finally killed that bastard."

"Michael. Please watch your language around the children," says a woman as she covers a child's ears. It's a little too late though. Bors can already hear some of the children repeating the word.

Michael must hear them too as he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry, Anne. I'm just frustrated."

"We're all frustrated, Michael."

"Someone was murdered here? When?" Henry asks, keeping up their cover.

"A few days ago," says the pub owner. "You saw it when you pulled into town, right? That mansion at the top of the hill? Nobleman Julius Gaius lived there with his wife. Now he's dead as a doorknob and the Rune Knights have invaded our home."

"Have you told them about the disappearances?" Bors asks.

"We reported them months ago, but they haven't done anything. All they want to talk to any of us about is who killed the bastard."

"Mr. Clark!" Anne scolds.

He just waves her off. "It's nothing they all haven't heard before. Sides', this is my pub you know. I'll say what I damn please!"

"What do you mean you reported it months ago?" Catie stands.

"Just what I said." The man says. "Nothing happened."

"That's not right." Catie mumbles, frustratedly rummaging through her bag. "That's just not right. Here." She pulls out a piece of paper with a pen. "Can you write down the names of the missing children and any family they might have we can talk to?"

"Why would you need that?" Henry asks her.

"We're already here. If the Rune Knights aren't going to help, then I will."

All eyes are on Catie, whispers traded amongst the people.

"We appreciate the thought, Miss," Michael says, "but these families can't afford to hire a mage for help."

"Who said anything about paying me?"

"Carly-" Henry puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Children are missing, and no one is doing anything about it!" She snaps, shoving the paper into Mr. Clark's hands. The whispers grow to a quiet roar, and Catie feels her neck and ears flush. It's a struggle to keep from hunching her shoulders in a bid to hide. She hadn't meant to cause a scene. The last thing she wants is to be the center of attention, but there's no helping it now. There are more important things at stake than her comfort. Still, she lowers her voice as she turns to Bors and Henry and fights the current of nervous energy flowing through her. "Whether you guys help me or not, I can't stand by and nothing."

Bors drops his hand on Catie's head, and she feels some of the anxiety leave her in favor of surprise. She looks carefully up at him, but he's looking at Mr. Clark.

"I agree with Catrina," he says. "This isn't something we can just ignore. Please, give us the information."

Catie's face breaks into a grateful grin. Bors has drawn some of the attention away with his words, and it makes it easier to bear.

With a roll of his eyes, Henry throws his hands in the air.

"Fine! Let's track down some kids!" Henry turns to the pub owner. "You heard the man. Now get to it!"

A bit in disbelief, Mr. Clark laughs a little. However, he quickly writes a list of all the missing children and their families, as well as their addresses.

"You can start over there, though." He points to a woman sitting in the corner. She can't be a day past thirty-five, but there's a streak of gray in her long black hair and heavy bags beneath her brown eyes. She wears a plain black dress, but it's easy to see that the fabric is much nicer than what everyone else is wearing. "That's Claudia Gaius, Nobleman Gaius' Widow. Her son disappeared three days before her husband was killed."

* * *

**I'm much happier with this chapter than the last one. It didn't fight me as much.**

** I know a lot of you were worried when I was so late posting last time, but I'm not giving up on this story. I want to finish it, no matter what.**

* * *

**Credits:**

**Titus Kelvin: The Restless Drifter**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Malfel: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!**

**SimpleStories24: ****Hello! As always, I enjoyed your review! All I'm going to say in regards to this arc is that Ria isn't being completely honest with her guildmates, and her mother had an interesting life.**

**Blue and Silver have an interesting dynamic in that they can't get along at all yet seem to always be working together. I'm glad you are looking forward to their mission!**

**Thank you so much for offering to check things over for me! I'd really appreciate it! PM me when you get a chance so we can work out the details!**

**MaMcMu: ****Thank you for reading! I'm glad you're looking forward to Razi's mission! I am still drawing, I just haven't had much time or energy to finish anything. I'm hoping to finish up some of the sketches I've started this weekend though.**

**The Restless Drifter: ****No need to apologize! I understand that sometimes there isn't much you can say. **

**As for your**** criticisms, I have to admit I completely forgot about the canon Racer. It's been a few years since I've seen most of Fairy Tail, and he just slipped my mind. It feels like it's too late to change it now, but since the canon Racer won't be making any appearances in this story, I hope it won't be too confusing. My Racer is named after the southern black racer snake, it that helps differentiate them in your mind. (Bandy is named after the bandy-bandy snake, by the way.) ****As for Hunter, that's something I'll have to work on in the future. I do have some strong characteristics in mind while writing him, but obviously they are not coming across. ****Thank you for both criticisms, they've given me a lot to think about!**

**I'm glad you are looking forward to the rest of the story! Thank you for reading!**

**Torsa: ****Hello! Thank you so much for being so patient with the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed the start of this arc! **

**Thank you for the compliment! I want to do all the wonderful characters I was given justice! So much thought was put into each one and I want to put just as much while writing them! **

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**Thank you all once again for reading! The next chapter should be up within the next two weeks!**


	13. The Mansion

**Thank you for reading!**

* * *

_In this house on a hill_

_The dead are living still, their intention is to kill and they will, they will_

_Keep your children safe inside, out of pocket, out of mind_

_Until they drink the wine and they will, they will, they will_

_~House on a Hill - The Pretty Reckless~_

* * *

_Chapter Eleven: The Mansion_

* * *

_~March 20th, x800~_

Claudia Gaius stares down into her teacup, her eyes lost in her distorted reflection. Her clothes are wrinkled. The bun on her head is not quite put together. Her posture, however, is impeccable, and she stands apart from the others in the pub.

"I'll talk to her by myself first," Catie says. "If I can get her to relax, I'll call you over."

Bors nods. "I will try to talk to the children here."

"I'll ask some of the adults about Gaius, then," says Henry.

With their tentative plan in place, Catie approaches Claudia.

"Excuse me," she says. "Mrs. Gaius?"

The woman looks up from her tea and forces a thin smile onto her lips. "Yes? How can I help you?"

"My name is Catrina Cinerus," she curtsies a little, then tries not to wince at the old habit. "Do you mind if I sit?"

"Please." Claudia taps her lips. "Cinerus, you said? Now, where have I heard that name before?"

"Perhaps from my father, Ajax Cinerus?"

"...No. That doesn't quite ring a bell either. I must be confusing it with something else."

"Maybe." Catie plasters on her kindest smile. "I hope I'm not being too forward; I'm actually from the Phoenix Refuge guild, and I heard about your missing son and the … the passing of your husband. I thought I'd offer my assistance."

"Oh my. I wasn't aware someone had contracted a guild."

"No one did. I was just passing through with two other members when we heard about what happened. I was shocked to learn that Rune Knights weren't doing much, so I've decided to help if I can. Free of charge." Catie pauses. "If you'd like, I can also try to investigate what happened to your husband."

Claudia bursts into tears- quiet tears that she tries to muffle the sound of. Catie recognizes this as the "good breeding" and "proper etiquette" noble families are often expected to have. Crying is fine for women, so long as it is contained and quiet and as pretty as possible.

Claudia carefully dabs at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Please forgive my outburst."

"There's no need to apologize. I understand you've gone through a lot in the past few weeks." Catie clasps her hand. "Whenever you're ready, can you tell me about your son and your husband?"

* * *

The children huddle together in a corner, watching Bors with wide eyes as they whisper amongst themselves. They remind him of rabbits. He kneels to be at there level, sure to leave a clear path of escape for them. The last thing he wants is to activate their flight or fight response.

"Hello," he greets. "I am Bors Gaheris."

A little girl, no more than ten, breaks away from the group and approaches him.

"I'm Cassie," she says. "Can you do magic?"

"Yes. I use Rune Magic."

"What's that?" A little boy asks.

"It's similar to Letter Magic. I write a rune and a corresponding effect happens." He demonstrates by writing the rune for light on his palm, and the children gasp in surprise as his hand shines.

"Can your friends do magic too?"

"Yes. Catrina is a Wind Mage, and Henry uses Iron Make Magic."

Excitedly, the children chatter, all of them speaking over each other as they try to ask him questions. Bors waits for them to calm down before he speaks.

"I will answer all your questions if you will answer mine."

* * *

Henry retakes his seat at the bar, and Mr. Clark sets down a mug in front of him.

"It's on the house," he says when Henry tries to pay.

"Thanks," Henry says, taking a big gulp. It burns on the way down, but not in a way that's unpleasant. The taste of cinnamon lingers in his mouth.

"Why is Gaius' widow hanging out here?" Henry asks.

Mr. Clark shrugs. "She showed up the day her son disappeared, looking like she was gonna die on the spot. At first, I didn't realize who she was; she'd never left that mansion before, but she fell to her knees and begged everyone here for help. I don't know what she thought any of us could do, though. Still, we formed a search party like we always do, and we found nothing."

"Gaius came barging in the next day, demanding she go back home, but she wouldn't budge." Michael pipes in. "She got hysterical, started screaming about all their dirty laundry right in front of us. The bastard smacked her across the face."

"Threw him out right after. It took five people to drive him off. He kept shouting about how he'd make us pay." Mr. Clark refills Henry's mug. "Two days later, he was dead."

"And good riddance!" Michael shouts. "That man was a terror! He deserved to be put down like a dirty mutt! He did everything to make sure living in this town was Hell, and then he did, even more, to make sure none of us could leave!"

"He owned all of the houses and all of the land here," says a woman, joining the conversation.

"He thought he owned the people, too!" Someone shouts.

"My niece went to work for him for a month, and she left town without a word," Anna says. "She just sent a letter saying she had to getaway. No one has heard from her since!"

One by one, people come forward to complain. They've been holding in all their woes for so long that the dam finally bursts. Henry stays silent, letting them air their grievances and learning all he can.

* * *

Amidst the commotion, Claudia takes a drink of her tea, and Catie waits until she's comfortable enough to speak.

"My son, Octavian, is only five. He's such a good boy. He's clever and oh so sweet." She pulls out a picture from her purse. The little boy has bright, brown eyes and the biggest smile Catie has seen. "He was playing in the garden when he and one of our servants went missing."

"One of your servants went missing as well? Is it possible they kidnapped Octavian?"

Claudia shakes her head. "Oh no. Not Lydia. She's the kindest young woman I've ever met. She's only nineteen and started working for us about three months ago, but Octavian adores her. She's so pretty, whoever took Octavian must have taken her as well."

"You do believe Octavian was kidnapped then."

"He must have been. They were playing on the grounds. I could see them from my window. I only turned away from a minute, but that was all it took. When I turned around, they were gone, and I thought they'd simply come inside, but I couldn't find them anywhere." Claudia bursts into tears again, and Catie stands to pat her on the back.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me any more about your son. Would you like to discuss your husband?" Mentioning him only makes Claudia cry more as she vigorously shakes her head back and forth. "I'm sorry. It's okay, We don't have to talk about him if you don't want to." Catie looks up, and Bors and Henry are standing by the door discussing something. "Mrs. Gaius, I'm going to talk to the families of the other missing children, but I'll be back here soon. Would it be possible for you to show me your manor's grounds? Perhaps I could find something to help locate your son."

"I… I don't know."

"Well, why don't you think about it, and you can let me know when I get back."

Catie pats her on the back again, then joins Henry and Bors.

"Let's go outside," says Henry. Catie and Bors follow him.

"Did you find out anything?" Henry asks.

"Mrs. Gaius said her son went missing with one of her servants. I wasn't able to get anything out of her about her husband. What about you guys?"

"The younger children are terrified of the mansion," says Bors. "They believe a monster lives there. The older children said Nobleman Gaius would yell at them if they got too close, or if they tried to talk to his son."

"None of the people I talked to had anything good to say about Gaius. He acted like he ran the town and had zero regard for the rules. Due to his money and his connection to the Magic Council, he was allowed to get away with whatever he wanted. At one point, he hired a guild to intimidate some of the residents. He was constantly cycling through servants and all of them were pretty young women below the age of twenty-five. The rumor is that he would have an affair with them, then send them away so they couldn't accuse him of anything."

"This is getting strange. None of this information was in the file. No wonder the people didn't want to cooperate."

"What's our next move?" Bors asks.

"I still want to talk to the families of the missing children. There's sure to be a pattern, and I'd like to know what it is."

"Well, who's first?"

* * *

Maria Mendez is a single mother now living alone in the small apartment she shared with her ten-year-old daughter. Her black eyes stare them down through the crack in her door. She looks haunted by sorrow. It's hard to look her in the eye, but Catie refuses to back down.

"Ms. Mendez," she starts. "I know this might be hard, but we'd like to talk with you about your daughter, Melinda. Can we come in?"

"Why?" Maria's voice is hoarse. Her panicked gaze flickers from Henry to Bors. "Who sent you here?"

"We heard about the missing children, and Mr. Clark told us Melinda was the first to vanish," Henry says. "We'd like to help, but you need to cooperate."

Her eyes grow shiny with tears as Maria shakes her head. "I've no money for an investigation. You need to leave."

"We're not asking you or anyone else for money," Bors says.

"Please," Catie speaks as if calming a skittish horse. "We just want to help."

"Why?" Maria asks again.

Biting her lip. Catie looks back at Henry and Bors. Why are they doing this? Because it's the right thing to do? Because it might shed some light on Gaius? All Catie knows are her own motivations, and she'd rather the men not know them.

When she turns back to face Maria though, her eyes are begging her for an answer. She takes a deep breath.

"When I was younger, I was lost, and there was no one to search for me," Catie tells her. "I was so scared and so alone. I thought no one cared. I'd given up hope of ever being found when someone saved me. She was my hero." Catie swallows the emotion rising up and forces a smile. "I'm sure wherever your daughter is, she's just as scared as I was back then. She must be praying for someone to save her. She needs a hero. Please, Ms. Mendez. Help me save Melinda."

Maria sobs and throws open the door. She collapses to her knees, and Catie wraps her in a hug.

"Please. Please!" Maria buries her face in Catie's neck. "Find my baby!"

"Everything's going to be okay. Just tell us what you can about the day Melinda disappeared."

* * *

It happened a little over a year ago: Melinda had been playing hide and seek in the woods with her friends. It was getting dark, and all the other children had been found, but Melinda was still hiding. This wasn't unusual; she was often the last one to be found, so the kids left her to come out on her own.

Melinda always returned home by nightfall, and her mother waited for her to return. However, darkness soon fell, and Melinda still wasn't home.

It wasn't unheard of for kids to get turned around in the woods while playing, so the town already had a well-practiced search team that assembled to look for her. They searched all night and all morning but hadn't found a trace of her.

Nothing but a shoe found near the edge of Julius Gaius' gates.

* * *

The next child to vanish was an eight-year-old boy named Liam Wolfe. A few older boys had dared him to go into the woods by himself for ten minutes. He never came out. Another search party was formed, but again, nothing was found.

His disappearance was almost exactly a month apart from Melinda's.

* * *

The next was a six-year-old girl, then a twelve-year-old boy, then a nine-year-old girl, then a five-year-old boy, then an eleven-year-old girl, then a seven-year-old boy, then a four-year-old girl, then a ten-year-old boy, then a twelve-year-old girl, then a three-year-old boy.

* * *

All of the children had somehow ended up in the woods by themselves. All of them were under the age of thirteen. All of them had disappeared within a month of each other. All of them came from families who would never be able to afford an investigator, even had the Magic Council approved such a request.

And when reported to the Rune Knights, all of the children had been labeled as runaways.

* * *

"That's a pretty obvious pattern," Henry says as they're leaving the last house.

"Should we contact Captain Achilles?" Bors asks. Catie shakes her head.

"I don't trust him. He's either been withholding information from us, or he's ignorant of the situation and of no help." A breeze passes by and Catie shutters. "And I still don't understand why the Magic Council would send a whole squadron of Rune Knights to investigate the murder of a minor noble, even if he was a mage."

"We spoke with Master Ajax about this," Bors says. "Nobleman Gaius was a big contributor to the previous Magic Council."

"Apparently, the guy is loaded."

"How? Hemlock doesn't have any major exports or _anything_. They're mostly surviving by being a resting stop on the way to Crocus. And the name Gaius isn't one of the ancient noble families, nor have I heard of him making investments into anything. Not trade, not fishing, not military, not anything. All he's ever contributed to is the Magic Council." Catie shivers again. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all!"

The wind picks up around them, and Catie forces herself to take deep, even breaths. Bors places his hands on her shoulders.

"You're very cold, Catrina. We should get inside."

"It'll be dark soon, too," Henry says. "And we still need to find a place to sleep tonight."

Catie thinks for a moment. "I have an idea."

* * *

"Thank you for your generosity, Mrs. Gaius," Bors says.

"Please, just call me Claudia," she says. "I'll show you to your rooms. Normally, I'd have a servant do it, but I sent them all away after… after…" She covers her mouth with her hand as her eyes fill with tears.

"It's alright, Claudia." Catie squeezes her shoulder. "You don't have to talk about it."

"I'm sorry. I would stay and be a better host, but it's too painful."

"That's alright. It's more than enough that you're letting us stay here."

She leads them towards a staircase that has stairs both leading up, and down.

"I thought we were on the ground floor," Henry says, pointing to them.

"We are. Those lead to the wine cellar and the basement."

"Wine, you say? Would you mind if I took a look at them?"

Claudia shakes her head. "Oh no. My husband is very protective of his collection. Only he has the key to open it."

"I understand," Henry says, shooting Catie and Bors a look behind Claudia's back. They were starting with the basement later then. A little off to the side of the stairs is a small elevator. The four of them cram inside with their bags, pressing close together.

"We use this when we need to get from floor to floor quickly," Claudia presses the button that says three before pulling the lever. "Otherwise, I'd advise using the stairs."

"The manor has four floors; the ground floor houses the kitchen, the pantry, the dining hall, the foyer, and the ballroom. On the second floor are the servant's quarters, my husband's office, and Octavian's playroom. The third-floor houses our guest quarters, and on the fourth floor is my family's personal quarters." The elevator doors open with a jerky clank. Claudia leads them down the hall. "Here is the first room. I'm not sure which of you would like to take it, but you may need to leave a window open. We haven't used this one in a long time."

"I don't mind staying here," says Henry. He walks over to the dresser and runs his finger over the top. There's not a trace of dust, despite not being used recently.

They leave him to put his bags away as Claudia takes Bors and Catie to two other rooms.

"These ones actually have an adjoining door. If you wish for privacy, you simply need to use the bolt lock. There's one on either side. All of our other rooms on this floor are not suitable for guests, I'm afraid."

Catie takes a look out the window; she can see everything from the woods to the town.

"It's a lovely view," she says.

"Thank you. All the south-facing windows overlook the town." Claudia steps up beside her and places her hand on the glass. "I'll show you to the kitchen and the pantry next. There should be enough supplies for you all to prepare a filling meal for the night."

"Would you like to have dinner with us?

Claudia gazes out the window, seeing sunset fast approaching as she clutches her pearl necklace.

"I'd best be getting back to town. It's dangerous to wander the woods at night. Especially alone."

"Would you like one of us to walk you back?" Bors offers.

Claudia drops her hand from the glass. She smiles, but it's stiff and worn.

"No need. You've all had a busy day. I'm sure you could use your rest." She glances back down. "If you decide to go into the woods during the day, you should still be careful. It's hunting season and sometimes bullets go astray."

* * *

After showing them to the kitchen, Claudia leaves. Almost as soon as she's gone, the three of them converge around the first-floor stairs. It's so dark, they can't see past the first five steps.

Bors grabs a candelabra from the foyer and lights it. Henry builds a makeshift torch from one of the dishtowels. Together, they shed enough light that now Catie can see the cellar door at the bottom of the stairs.

Henry takes the lead, with Catie right behind and Bors coming up the rear. Halfway down, the steps turn from stone to wood and creak beneath their weight. The floor is damp, and the air is cold.

Catie takes the torch from Henry as he bends down to examine the lock on the cellar door.

"You got a couple of hairpins I can borrow?" Henry asks. Catie plucks the ones holding her braid up and lets her hair unravel.

Henry unbends one pin into an "L" shape, leaving the other as is. After about thirty seconds, they hear a telltale "click."

Inside, they find an extensive wine collection and nothing more.

"That was a bust," Henry says. He tosses Catie her pins back. She frowns at their dirty and bent state.

"Let's keep looking around the rest of the mansion," she says, tucking them into her pocket. "Maybe we'll find something."

"This is a big place. Should we split up to cover more ground?" Bors asks.

"What if one of us finds something, or gets into trouble? We should stick together, at least at first."

* * *

They begin on the first floor, the only thing of interest the covered piano in the ballroom. Catie dances her fingers across the keys. It's terribly out of tune.

* * *

On the second floor, they comb through Julius' office. He has shelves of books covered in dust with bare walls. A single floor to ceiling window rest behind his desk. It overlooks the back of the manor, and below Catie can see a pair of doors nestled against the ground.

The drawers in Julius' desk are empty except for a single black leather ledger; written inside are pages and pages of names with hefty sums of Jules beside them.

* * *

They go through the servant's rooms as well, finding several closets containing woman's clothes. Nothing as fancy and expensive as Claudia was wearing, but still, nice quality. It's odd they were left behind. In one of the rooms, they also find a picture of a pair of young women who look so much alike they must be sisters. Catie slides the photo out of its frame and reads the words written on the back:

"'Lydia and Lana, x799.' Lydia was the servant who disappeared with Octavian."

"She looks like you," Bors says.

"Really?" Catie stares at the smiling face. There is something familiar about her.

"You have the same eyes."

* * *

They look in Octavian's playroom, but Catie just finds a children's drawing that must have been Octavian's: a crayon interpretation of him and his mother. His father is not pictured.

It's been dark for a couple of hours now, so they decide to break for dinner.

Catie and Henry mostly do the cooking, though Bors does help out. The dining room is vast, and the table needlessly large, so they just decide to eat in the kitchen.

"There isn't any evidence that Gaius is connected to the disappearances," Bors says.

"It looks to me like he's taking bribes. I recognized some names from some of the previous Magic Council's lackeys." Henry says. "I bet he had some kind of dirt on those people."

"There were some noblemen and Rune Knights my dad mentioned in there, too," says Catie.

"'I also recognized some names, though they were all nobles from my own country," Bors adds.

"Gaius had a far reach."

"Was he an information broker, then?" Catie asks. "He traded in secrets and bribes?"

"It seems like it. He was probably murdered by someone tired of being under his thumb. It wouldn't surprise me if he was murdered by the Magic Council themselves, and they sent this many Rune Knights to cover their asses. We're just here to make them look good."

"Then the missing kids are just a coincidence, and not connected to Gaius?"

"Maybe his son was kidnapped by the same person who killed him, but not whoever or whatever is behind the other children." Bors offers.

Catie ponders this, feeling as though they're missing something right in front of their faces. They finish eating and clean up before going to the third and fourth floors.

Besides the fact the Claudia and Julius obviously no longer share a bed if they ever did, there is nothing of importance that they find.

It's late by this point, and they all decide to retire for the night. They'll check out the actual grounds of the mansion in the morning.

* * *

"_Catrina," a woman's voice whispers to her, gentle and clear. "Catrina."_

"_Mama Lina?" She asks, because who else could be calling her name so sweetly._

"_I'm afraid not, Catrina." Catie looks around and spots a woman with hair and eyes and skin like her own. "Do you recognize me?"_

_How could she not? She only stared at her picture every day for ten years._

"_Of course, Mother. Of course, I do."_

"_That's good. You should never forget me, after all. Not after what you did. You need to remember what you did to me forever."_

"_I know, Mother." Catrina starts crying, but the tears don't feel genuine. She's too numb for that. "I'm sorry."_

"_I'm glad." Her mother smiles, almost like the picture sitting on Catie's desk back home, but too wide, with too many teeth. "Getting my revenge would be no fun if you didn't remember."_

_Her mouth stretches wider and wider open until it's big enough to swallow Catie whole. She just stands there and lets it happen._

* * *

Catie wakes up, panting, feeling her heart pound in her throat. She clutches her blanket and tucks her head between her knees, trying to get rid of the nausea the dream caused. Once she's certain she's not going to vomit, she gets up and stuffs her feet in her slippers and grabs a robe to put over her nightgown. She goes downstairs in search of a glass of water. She finds Bors sitting at the kitchen table, singing to himself as he whittles away.

She keeps her distance at first, just watching him and listening to his song. It's in a language she doesn't know. Bors has a nice voice, soothing and deep. It's almost hypnotic, and she finds herself calming down enough that she sags against the wall. She must make a noise because Bors stops singing and looks two seconds away from throwing his knife at her.

When he sees it's just Catie, he clears his throat and lowers the knife.

"I did not expect you or Henry to wake."

"I was having trouble sleeping," Catie says, joining him at the table. She sits across from him, her head resting against her arms. "What are you carving?"

"A rabbit." Bors holds it up for her, but he's at the beginning stages and all she sees is a lump.

"Can I see it when you're finished?" Catie asks.

"If you'd like." Bors returns to his carving. They settle into silence again, Catie listening to the sound of knife scraping wood. After a while, it stops, and she looks up to see Bors staring at her.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Sure, I guess." Catie shrugs. Bors remains silent, though, thinking of the best way to phrase it.

"The story you told Ms. Mendez..." He settles on. "Was it true?"

Dread and panic flutter inside her, but Catie pushes them down. There's no need for it. She trusts Bors.

"Yeah... It happened a long time ago. Before I was adopted." Catie smiles a bit. "Lina was actually the one who found me."

"The first master?"

"The very same." With a sigh, Catie lets her smile fall. "She gave me a home and a family. She taught me what it was to be kind. I don't know where I'd be without her."

"You miss her." It isn't a question, but Catie answers anyway.

"Terribly so."

Silence settles over them once more, and Bors returns to his whittling. The gentle patter of rain soon joins in, muffled through the walls. The rhythms blend together nicely. It could almost be music.

"What was that song you were singing?" Catie asks.

"A folk song from Iceberg. It's very old." Bors says.

"It was nice. Can you sing some more?" Bors looks uncomfortable, so Catie reaches out to pat his hand. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought you had a nice voice. It's very relaxing."

Bors once more goes back to his whittling, clearing his throat as he starts to sing. Even though she doesn't know the words, she can tell that its a song of longing. It's bittersweet, and she's certain its a love song. She watches his hands work, noting how careful and precise he is. Her eyes drift close, and she starts to fall asleep to his song, feeling comfortable and warm.

The warmth is interrupted by the sound of a loud bang.

Catie and Bors leap to their feet, taking battle stances, and standing back to back.

More bangs, louder than the first, fill the air. Screams soon join them.

There's no mistaking where the sounds are coming from: the cellar.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Malfel: Yup! The town's people are not at all fond of them, and our trio will likely burn that bridge when they get to it! As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Torsa: ****Don't worry about Catie. She's pretty used to grumpy men. I'm glad you liked what I did with Bors! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! **

* * *

**Thank you all once again for reading! We've had a bunch of people quit at my work, so I'm picking up a lot of shifts. The next chapter may be late, but I will work very hard to get it done as soon as I can! In the meantime, thank you for your patience!**


	14. The Cellar

_ Devil Town is colder in the summertime_

_I'll lose my mind at least another thousand times_

_Hold my hand tight_

_We'll make it another night_

_I still get a little scared of something new_

_But I feel a little safer when I'm with you_

_Falling doesn't feel so bad when I know you've fallen this way too_

_~Devil Town - Cavetown~_

* * *

Chapter Twelve: The Cellar

* * *

~March 21st, x800~

When the moon is full and sits at the highest point of a clear sky, the gate enclosing the Gaius Mansion glows red. The light it casts is so bright that it paints the whole town crimson. For five years now its been this way, but tonight is the first time Claudia Gaius is experiencing it from down below.

She stands near the edge of the woods. She's not quite able to make herself stare up at what used to be her home. Even though they don't reach her here, the screams of the damned echo in her ears still. In her hands, she clutches a string of worn wooden prayer beads. They too were once red, but the color has long faded. With trembling fingers, she kneads them gently, mumbling words of salvation and safety.

She doesn't know if the mages will survive this -she's never even heard of Phoenix Refuge, after all- but they're her last hope. Her last chance for absolution. All she can do is pray for them and for the children.

A sob escapes her as she falls to her knees. Rocks dig into her flesh through her skirt.

"Please," she begs the night. "Don't let it be too late."

"Claudia," Mr. Clark calls behind her. "Get inside. The Rune Knights are gonna notice and try to storm the place any minute now."

Slowly, Claudia rises to her feet. She finally lets her eyes gaze upon the house she lived for years. She still remembers the butterflies she got in her stomach the day she first saw it. What a shame the outside is so beautiful when the inside contains such horrors.

"No one will be able to get in or out till daybreak," she says. "He cast his most powerful spell on that gate."

Mr. Clark puts his hand on her shoulder, and Claudia lets him lead her away and back into the pub. It's quiet, everyone's gaze fixed out the windows.

Watching.

Waiting.

* * *

Frantic fists pound on his door, and Henry jumps out of bed ready for a fight. In his experience, being woken up this way usually results in one. His whole room is bathed in red light for some reason, and it serves to only put him more on edge.

"Henry!" Catie yells, her voice cracking.

He throws open his door, and she nearly punches him in the face.

"What the Hell?" He asks, grabbing her wrists. His anger fades at the pale look on her face. She's shaking like a leaf, and her pupils are so dilated that her eyes look black. The red light is harsh on her skin, creating sharp shadows that make her cheeks look hallowed. He's never seen her so frightened before.

"What's wrong?" He lets her go.

Catie rubs her wrists and swallows. "There's something in the cellar."

* * *

Henry barely stops to grab his shoes before they're flying down the stairs. He can hear the bangs about halfway down, at first just a distant knocking and steadily growing louder. Bors waits for them at the cellar door, his sword at the ready. His muscles are tense, pulled as taut as a bowstring just begging for release.

Henry doesn't bother unlocking the door, opting to knock it down with an Iron-Make Hammer instead. A small window lets in the red-tinged moonlight, but only enough to keep them from bumping into the racks of wine. The sounds grow ever louder, and they follow them until they reach a glowing white brick.

Bors reaches out a hand to touch it. The brick retracts under his fingers, pressing into the wall. A seam appears, revealing a hidden door. Bors pushes it forward, and it swings open.

With nothing to muffle them now, the sounds become deafening, and Catie clasps her hands over her ears. It's awful, the screams don't sound human or like any beast she has ever heard. Accompanying the screams is a terrible smell; it's like a polluted ocean- garbage and death and destruction fill Catie's lungs and it takes all of her self control not to reach on the floor.

The light doesn't reach into the area behind the hidden door, and an inky void awaits them. They don't speak as they step into the black -they wouldn't be able to hear each other if they tried- and the passage is so narrow they have no choice but to march single file. Bors takes the lead, then Catie with Henry walking backward to watch their backs.

Suddenly, the brick wall slams shut behind them. The sounds stop.

Without a word, the three of them converge and stand back to back. It's too quiet now. Catie strains her ears. Bors is to her left. She can hear his breath. Henry is to her right, she can hear his breath as well.

Above her, she hears someone else breathing.

Catie sends a wind swipe towards it at the same time Bors thrusts his sword upwards and Henry tosses his hammer. Whatever it is crashes into the floor with a thud. The brief light of her magic allows Catie to make out something that is definitely not human.

And it's not alone.

The cacophony of screams returns and Catie is knocked off her feet as a creature digs its claws into her arms. Her skin feels on fire as blood trickles from her wounds. Drops of saliva land on her face.

"Boreas Breath!" She cries, blowing as hard as she can. The creature screeches as it releases her, but Catie knows that attack wasn't enough to stop it. She wasn't able to charge it.

"A little light would be helpful here, Bryce!" Henry grunts, his hammer slamming into a creature with a crunch.

Bors swipes at two creatures before him, their bodies crumbling at his feet. He hurdles over them, reaching out for a wall. His fingers brush against the damp brick, and he quickly writes out the rune for "light."

Now that they can see what it is they are fighting, Catie feels sick. Her opponent isn't an unrecognizable beast, but a face like her own.

"Lydia?" She asks, but the young woman doesn't answer. Though calling her a young woman now may not be entirely accurate.

Her face and torso are that of Lydia's, but her arms are scaled and clawed, and her legs are hairy and hooved. Dripping tentacles sprout from her back. Her mouth opens wide and she hisses, showing off her black tongue and needle-sharp teeth.

Lydia Marsh is no more.

Swallowing her horror, Catie ducks out of the creature's grasp.

"Iron-Make: Shrapnel!" Henry yells and a barrage of projectiles takes down three creatures simultaneously. The shrapnels' jagged edges pierce their vital organs, and in an instant, they're dead. He tries not to look at their young faces and wide, empty eyes. There's no time to dwell when three more descend on him anyway.

"Iron-Make: Knight!" A humanoid automation forms, raising a sword and shield and throwing back one of the creatures. Henry creates two more to engage the other two. If there was more space, he'd summon even more, but he's pushing it as is.

For his part, Bors plunges his blade into a creature's chest. Black blood bubbles past blue, chapped lips and its obsidian eyes grow flat. He yanks his sword back, and it falls. With his back to the wall, he raises his blade for the next attack.

Six feet long, Bors flame-bladed greatsword is a specially forged weapon known as a Runeblade, designed to work in tandem with his magic. Quite wide due to its broad fuller, inscribed along the blade are multiple runes and one foot above the crossguard is a pair of parrying hooks.

"Slice!" Bors shouts as a group of creatures starts to crowd him. He makes one quick swing in front of him, the rune for "slice" on his blade glowing. Five of the creatures are struck by the attack, and two drop dead.

"Stab!" He makes a quick jab towards the closest creature. The corresponding rune once more lights up on his blade. The force from the stab pierces through the creature's chest like a bullet. He quickly repeats the motion towards the remaining two. They fall.

While even more creatures press in on him, Catie continues to duck and dive out of Lydia's reach. She summons Hermes' Heels, granting herself a bit of maneuverability, but she can't outrun her forever. She knows she has to incapacitate her, but all of her spells refuse to move past her lips.

Another creature leaps for her, and Catie has to cancel Hermes' Heels in order to properly dodge. Lydia takes advantage and tackles her against the wall. Catie stares into her eyes -blue, broken, and sad- and feels trapped.

Lydia opens her mouth and screams. Catie yells.

"Wind Magic: Wind Scythe!"

A sharp gust of wind crashes into Lydia, cutting her diagonally across the chest. Blood oozes from the wound. She looks at Catie, stunned, entirely too human at that moment, and falls dead.

Catie stares at her crumpled body, unable to breathe. Unable to look away. She wants to scream, maybe, or cry, but she can't quite bring herself to do either. Lydia's blood soaks into the ground. Her blue eyes gaze at Catie accusingly. The last time she saw so much blood...

_Monster. _

"Catrina! Get down!" Bors shouts.

Despite the warning, Catie doesn't move. Another creature lands on top of her, slamming her head against the wall. Pain erupts on the back of her skull as her vision grows black, and she falls unconscious. Limp, her body drops to the floor. The creature descends on her.

With a quick strike, Bors cuts through the creature attacking him. With swift fingers, he inscribes a rune on his chest.

"Speed!" He bursts forward. With the added momentum, he swings his blade with greater force and slices the creature in half. The spell wears off, and he feels the strain on his body immediately as he falls to one knee. There's no time to rest, though. His eyes sweep over Catie: her arms and chest seep blood from the claw marks left by the creature. He can't tell how deep they are, or how much of the blood belongs to her.

A chorus of shrieks draws his attention. He spins to face the creatures rushing towards him. Rising to his feet, steadying his stance, he grips his blade and evaluates his best moves. He's at a disadvantage with his own tires body and Catie's prone form, but if he's careful with every blow, he can at least buy them some time.

"Iron Make: Bulkhead!" Henry steps in front of him, creating a giant wall of iron between them and the creatures. With a sound like pots banging together, the creatures pound on the structure. Dents from their fists start to form.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot!" Henry shouts. "Grab her and let's go!"

Doing his best not to jostle her, Bors picks up Catie. She whimpers, curling her face into his chest. With the sound of the creatures slowly hammering their way through Henry's wall chasing them, they run.

* * *

_She stared at her reflection, her fingers tugging at her inch long hair. It'd never been so short, before, with bald patches scattered across her head. Despite the shower she just took, her face still looked gray and grimy. Her lips were chapped, and her cheekbones threatened to break through her skin. _

_"Ugly." She whispered, her nails digging deep into her palms. "Ugly. Ugly. Ugly." _

_'Ugly is as ugly does,' her father's words echoed in her ears, and she covered them as if that would get rid of the memory. The magic swirled inside her, threatening to explode, but the gold bracelet on her wrist sent a shock through her body. She didn't let herself cry out. The pain quieted her thoughts, and she squashed the magic until she could hardly feel it. She swiftly dressed in her borrowed clothes and left the bathroom without looking in the mirror again. _

_Ms. Lina sat by the door and smiled up at her. _

_"Feel better?" She asked._

_"Yes." Catrina lied. "Thank you." _

_Ms. Lina lept to her feet with one fluid motion and stretched. She reached her hand out to Catrina, who took it gently. Ms. Lina's thumb brushed against her bracelet, and Catrina tried not to wince at the jolt it caused. _

_"Are you ready__?"_

_"Yes." She lied again, letting herself be led down the hall. This home was so small, especially compared to her own. It was suffocating. She could hear the muffled voices of children, and it took everything in her not to bolt in the other direction. She'd never interacted much with children, before, beside her sister, and even that had ended in disaster. _

_Mr. Ajax leaned against the doorway and smiled at her. She did her best to return it. Two children sat in the middle of the living room, playing some kind of game she couldn't even begin to understand. __The boy had bright green eyes and a mess of mahogany curls that verged on overtaking his face. The girl's eyes were hazel, and her own mahogany curls were pulled into twin pigtails on top of her head._

_"Evander," Ms. Lina called. "Victoria. Come say 'hello.'"_

_Together, they stared at Catrina. __The girl whispered to her brother, and Catrina felt the magic inside her once more react. Another shock and it was back under control. The boy scrambled to his feet and grabbed his sister's hand. He dragged her over until they both stood about two feet in front of Catrina. _

_"Hi," He said. He smiled, revealing his two missing front teeth. His sister clung to the back of his shirt._

_"Hello," Catrina replied. _

_"I'm Evander. This is Ria." He pushed the little girl in front of him, making her nearly knock into Catrina's legs. "She thinks you're pretty!"_

_The little girl flushed red from the top of her ears to the tip of her toes. Behind her, Catrina heard Ms. Lina bark out a laugh while Mr. Ajax huffed a deep sigh._

_"Evander," he said reproachfully._

_"What? That's what she said!' Evander defended himself. "If someone said I was pretty, I'd wanna know! Right?" He turned to Catrina for validation but jumped back quickly. "What're you crying for?!"_

_With a shaking hand, Catrina felt her face. Sure enough, there were tears. She opened her mouth to apologize, or maybe explain, but all that came out was a sob. She covered her mouth, but it did little to muffle the sound. Her bracelet kept sending shock after shock through her, and that only made her cry more._

_Ria stared up at her with watery eyes and let out a loud wail. Evander's head whipped back and forth between them, growing visibly more and more distressed until he too began to cry. _

_Mr. Ajax quickly gathered his children close to him. Ms. Lina tried to do the same for Catrina, but her touch was painful, so she pushed her away and ran and ran and ran and ran until she was too tired to run anymore and collapsed at the edge of the woods. Everything hurt and she didn't even fully understand why she was crying. The bracelet was still shocking her, and she couldn't take it anymore. She ripped it off and hurled it into the woods as hard as she could. The magic inside her burst free for the first time in months._

_"Monster." She could still remember the exact way the word fell from her father's lips, a mixture of disgust and fear. She could still hear her sister's screams. She could still remember the way the earth soaked up the blood. _

_She screamed, but the sound was lost in the howl of the wind._

* * *

"Catrina," Bors says. "Can you hear me?"

She opens her eyes, and Bors and Henry's faces slowly come into focus. Her head hurts so bad, she feels like her brain is going to start pouring out her ears. Her arms and chest burn, and they're wrapped in makeshift bandages. She tries to sit up, but Bors doesn't let her.

"Stay still. You may have a concussion."

"What happened?" She asks.

"You let one of those things knock you out, like an idiot. Hasn't Ajax taught you anything?" The words themselves are harsh, but Henry's tone lacks any real venom. "You're just lucky we were able to get you out of there."

In the distance, Catie can hear the cries of the creatures.

"We've gotta keep moving," Henry says, mostly to Bors. "That wall isn't gonna hold them back forever."

"Very well," Bors scoops Catie up as gently as he can, and she tries not to let her pain show.

They continue down the tunnel. It's a silent trek, accompanied only by the ever-growing distant sound of the creatures behind them. It feels like an eternity before they finally reach the end of the passage, where an iron door waits for them. Henry makes quick work of knocking it off its hinges, and cautiously they step inside. An elevator, similar to the one inside the mansion, awaits them.

"This thing only has one button," Henry says after examining it.

"Will it take us out of here?" Catie asks.

"I don't know."

They decide to risk it and crowd inside. Bors puts Catie down as it's an even tighter fit than the one in the mansion. The light flickers when Henry presses the button. The elevator starts to go down.

It's a bumpy ride, the elevator jerking side to side as it slowly descends. The light continues to flicker.

Suddenly, with a jolt, the elevator stops.

"Henry?" Catie asks, voice quivering. Her hand grips Bors' shirt. Above, the light still flickers.

"Give me a sec." Henry mumbles. He Makes a screwdriver and opens the panel behind the button. A mass of dusty wires and rusted gears reveal themselves. "This is a mess. It's amazing it's running at all."

He fiddles with the inside's in a way Catie and Bors don't understand. When Henry yanks a handful of wires out, Catie shuts her eyes and holds her breath. The light is still flickering. Bors rests his hand on Catie's head, and the warmth it radiates is a welcome comfort.

Finally, the elevator starts moving again.

"There. That should do it." Henry slams the panel closed.

A loud crash comes from above, jolting the elevator once more. The light bulb bursts, shattered glass raining over them. Two clawed hands pierce through the metal and wrench it apart. The beautiful face of a young woman with gray eyes grins at them and screams. However, the elevator buckles under the additional weight and drops a few feet. The creature loses its balance, clawed hand closing around the wire holding the elevator up. Perhaps if it wasn't so old, the creature wouldn't have snapped right through it like a piece of string.

The elevator plummets. Catie shrieks as her stomach flips and panic floods her mind. Without thinking, she pulls Bors and Henry close to her.

"Wind Magic: Zephry Sphere!" A circle of wind encircles them. It steals all the air from inside, dragging it from their lungs. The men turn blue and Catie feels faint, but she holds it.

The elevator crashes and crunches into a square half its original size, but the wind cushions them and keeps the metal from crushing them. Catie releases her spell and they all gasp for breath. Above them, the creature screams again, and more screams join in.

Bors takes his sword and jams it between the elevator doors. He forces them open, and the three of them quickly crawl out.

"Iron Make: Bulkhead!" Henry shouts, and an iron wall covers the elevator entirely. They wait for the sounds of bangs and screams to start, to see the dent of fists and feet through the wall, but for some reason, they never come.

Catie's head hurts even worse than before.

* * *

The elevator has brought them to what is a mix between a laboratory and an operating theater. Against one wall is a large screen, taking up most of the space. Against the opposite wall are cages with dead animals in different stages of decomposition, and in the center of the room is a slab, a magic circle etched into the concrete floor around it. Dark brown stains mar the otherwise white marble. A desk, covered in scrolls sits not too far away from the door.

"What is this place?" Catie asks, shivering a little.

"I think we stumbled upon Gaius' workshop," Henry says, walking towards the screen. He touches his fingers to it, and it lights up. "This thing runs on Archive. I can probably access it and figure out what he was doing. Besides making those creatures, I mean."

As the Archive screen appears before him and Henry starts to type away, Bors walks over to the desk. The scrolls are ancient, some of them damaged so badly they can't be read. They're in an array of languages as well, most of which Bors doesn't recognize. However, there are three scrolls, laid out flat, with a translating spell placed on them.

The first one is titled "The Black Heart." Most of it is too faded to make out, but the middle is so clear it might as well have been written yesterday.

_"… and he took upon him the weight of the world, and saw the ugliness in the hearts of man, knowing only he among us was pure. He gazed at me with charcoal eyes, and he knew every wicked deed I had committed, and every evil thought that had crossed my mind. He knew my every mistake, my every weakness, my every flaw, and my every fear._

_As he stepped towards me, his hands became black, and when he touched me, I saw all the harm I had done; my soul was corrupted beyond redemption. I begged for his mercy and asked to be cleansed of my sins, even though I knew I was unworthy of such things._

_He knelt before me, and kissed my forehead as he wept. In that moment, I was made new."_

The next one, written in red ink, is titled "Rebirth." Only a few lines have been scrawled onto it, in messy writing that Bors can barely decipher.

_"My love was brought to the altar. They were anointed in oil and adorned in gold, roses, and lilies weaved into their hair as they laid upon the platform and awaited the Master._

_Soon the Master came, and saw my love, and saw they were good, for they were beautiful. They were worthy of becoming a Phoenix. The crowds chanted, cheering on my love for their bravery and loyalty. I alone saw my love's fear, and I alone mourned for them."_

The rest is unreadable, but at the very bottom, Bors can make out the last line.

_"Farewell, my sweet Cyrus. May your cycle end in peace."_

The very last scroll he can read has no title and appears to be a poem. The bottom has been torn away.

_"Death by my door stood, beckoning me near_

_ For me, __He had come,__ yet I held no fear_

_Knew I this: from my fate, I would be spared_

_For a year, I had toiled and prepared_

_Month after month, on the New Moon's dark eve_

_Fresh ingredients for the spell I'd weave_

_First, the brain of a young girl so clever_

_Next, the heart of a boy with great valor_

_Then, the lungs of a girl, voice pure and sweet_

_Next, the kidneys of a boy very meek_

_Then, the bladder of a girl filled with dread_

_Next, the liver of a boy who'd drunk lead_

_Then, the stomach of a girl I made fast_

_Next, the spleen of a boy always picked last_

_Then, the blood of a girl with skin so pale_

_Next, the bones of a boy, thin, tall and frail_

_Then, the muscles of a girl with great brawn_

_Next, the skin of a boy, young as a fawn_

_Finally, when fully shined the bright moon,_

_I crafted my vessel and sang this tune:_

_'Child of my flesh, last of my bloodline,_

_Grant to me your youth, return what was mine...'"_

Dread sinks its claws further and further into Bors' heart. Surely, it can't be true.

"Bors?" Catie asks, voice tired and hoarse. "What's wrong?"

She takes the scroll from his hands before he can think to stop her.

"I've finally done it," a voice echoes through the room as Henry unlocks Gaius' Archive. On the screen appears a handsome man, with salt and pepper hair. He smiles with tears in his dark eyes, relief, and joy evident on his face. "I've uncovered the ritual Master wanted me to learn. Even though I failed him, he is still giving me a chance. The new moon is next week, and I already know the first child to choose. In the meantime, I will continue my experiments. My next subject will be arriving tomorrow. She's a beautiful girl. If I'm successful, she'll be my masterpiece. My legacy will be set in stone." His eyes flicker to something offscreen. "Master will be arriving soon to check on my progress. I must prepare."

The screen grows black once more.

"That's all I could get. Everything else has been deleted." Henry turns to face Catie and Bors, taken aback at the sight of wind swirling around Catie, lifting her hair and clothes.

She covers her mouth, bile rising up her throat. Her chest aches, like something inside her has splintered into a million pieces. The anger and grief twist inside like a tornado until there's nowhere else for it to go. She catapults the scroll across the room with a scream and collapses to the floor. Her chest heaves with her sobs. The wind continues to surround her, howling along.

Henry picks up the scroll, reading over it quickly. His eyes grow dark as he grips it so hard it almost rips. Bors clutches his sword, but there's no one to use it against now. Gaius is already dead, after all.

They're too late.

* * *

Slowly, the wind dies down. Catie takes all the broken pieces inside her and brushes them aside. They'll no doubt resurface later, but for now, she can function. She tries to stand, and when she can't quite manage it on her own, Bors and Henry help her to her feet. Her head feels too full, like a balloon about to pop, and her bandages have started leaking.

Bors makes her sit on the desk and rummages through the drawers in search of something to redress her wounds. Meanwhile, Henry begins to examine the screen more closely. There's something about the way it's fitted into the wall that doesn't quite make sense. Both searches prove fruitful; Bors finds bandages, and Henry finds a hidden door behind the screen.

While Bors rewraps Catie's arms, Henry opens the door. The light of the lab illuminates the darkness behind the screen. An array of machines are aligned in a way that looks familiar to him. Along the walls are giant pods filled with green liquid. Body parts belonging to humans and animals float inside. One of them is cracked; jagged glass lines the floor, and it crunches beneath Henry's shoes.

He runs his hands over one of the machines, examining it closely. Using his mechanical hand, he rips into one of them, pulling out wires and gears to get to the core. He knows this design; the machine is used to drain magic.

"Dammit!" Henry shouts as sparks fly towards him.

"What is it?" Bors comes running wielding his sword.

"These damn machines are from the Magic Council!" Henry kicks the machine, over and over until a dent forms in the metal. "Those bastards were funding this whole operation! Didn't they learn anything from Face? When will they stop messing with Magic they have no business messing with!?"

"You are certain?" Bors asks, trying to look past Henry into the machine.

"This isn't standard, run of the mill stuff! It may all be in shiny, new containers, but the technology inside is all recycled!" Henry Makes a hammer and starts pulverizing as much of it as he can. "The guy who built it doesn't even work for them anymore! It's irreplaceable! Dammit! They probably sent the Knights here to retrieve it all! Iron Make: Shrapnel!"

Henry continues smashing into the machines, hitting them where he knows it'll cause the most damage. To his surprise, Bors takes his sword and joins in. No words are spoken between them as they work to decimate the machines. Bors can tell that somehow, for Henry, this is personal. Maybe he's appalled that technology would be used in such heinous ways. Maybe it's something else. For now, it doesn't matter.

If he can't take ut his anger on Gaius, he'll take it out on this room instead.

* * *

Catie hears the destruction and tries to stand. The room spins around her, and she falls to her knees, grabbing the edge of the desk. A part of it breaks off into her hand. She examines the piece, and the part of the desk it came from and discovers a small, secret compartment. She peeks inside, and the glimmer of a gold key greets her. With shaky fingers, Catie takes it and holds it close to her face.

She scrutinizes the room: it doesn't go to any of the animal cages or to any of the drawers in the desk. She runs her hand along the walls. It seems Gaius had a propensity for hidden doors because she finds the keyhole blended into the design of the brick on the wall of the opposite side of the room. The key sides in perfectly, and when she turns it, part of the wall disappears, revealing a small library, and the terrified face of a little boy with bright brown eyes.

"Octavian?" She whispers.

The boy scrambles away, whimpering. The loud crashes and bangs not to far away do nothing to make him less afraid.

Catie makes herself as small as possible.

"It's alright, Octavian," she says. "I'm here to help. Your mother sent me."

He looks up at that, and when his eyes land on Catie's face, he gasps.

"Lydia?" He asks, his voice so quiet it's hard to hear. His hands shake as they reach out to her, and Catie scoops him into her arms without hesitation. The boy wraps around her like a monkey. He's so thin, and he's crying so hard. Catie buries her fingers in his dirty hair and shushes him.

"You came for me." Octavian hiccups. "Daddy said you were gone, but I knew you'd come! I knew it!"

She can't speak past the lump in her throat, and simply squeezes the boy as tight as she dares. She doesn't know how long she sits there, but eventually the sounds of destruction fade, and she carries the boy back to Henry and Bors, humming softly as she rocks Octavian back and forth.

* * *

"So," Catie whispers, "how are we going to get out of here." Octavian has somehow fallen asleep in her arms, and she's doing her best not to wake him. The hidden library only contained books on immortality and no way out.

"We'll need to figure out a way to get back up the elevator shaft," Henry says.

"I can probably propel us up with my magic," Catie says. "Then we're going to have to fight through those creatures, again."

"With the child, it is not ideal. We are in need of a proper strategy." Bors says.

"He had to have some other way of getting out of here. I doubt he wanted to deal with those... things just to get back to his mansion."

"He must have been able to control them, somehow," Henry mumbles. "No. Wait. Didn't Achilles say Gaius used Shield Magic? It was probably easy for him to walk right past those things if he was strong enough."

They fall into silence, each of them contemplating their situation. Catie gazes down at Octavian, and her throat clogs once more. Lydia Marsh's body is presumably still there, amongst the creatures. If they have to get past them, they'll have to get past her as well, and who knows how Octavian will react upon seeing her. She doesn't want to find out.

"Maybe you two should go without us and find help," Catie says. "We'll probably only end up slowing you down, anyway."

"Impossible," Bors says at the same time Henry asks "Are you stupid or something?"

Catie tries not to bristle at the immediate shutdown, but not only is her head still killing her, but it's also been one of the worst nights of her life.

"Why not?" She asks, her voice laced with irritation.

"What are you gonna do if those things get down here? Can you defend yourself and protect the kid at the same time? Your magic sucks in enclosed spaces."

"You're injured, as well." Bors skims his fingers over the back of Catie's head, and she hisses. "You should not be fighting."

"Well, what should we do then?" Catie snaps.

Octavian whimpers and opens his eyes.

"Don't fight." He mumbles. "Daddy doesn't like it."

"We're not, Sweetie. We're just having a disagreement." Catie shushes him.

"Hey Kid, I don't suppose you know how you dad got back upstairs, now do you?" Henry asks, ignoring Catie's glare.

"Daddy goes through there." Octavian points to where Henry's wall still blocks the elevator and the three of them let out a collective sigh. "But sometimes he goes through there."

He points to the hidden library.

"Can you show us how?" Bors asks. Octavian nods.

"But we can't leave the others."

Catie's breath catches. She almost doesn't dare to hope. Her heart pounds in her chest.

"Where are they?" She asks.

Octavian points to the desk. Or rather, the floor beneath it.

Bors stands and shoves the desk out of the way with all his strength. It scratches the marble, and most of the scrolls tumble to the ground. Henry kneels, pressing his ear to the floor. Using his mechanical hand, he taps, gently. Listening. Moving when he hears nothing until finally, an echoing ding.

"It's hollow here." He stands, Making a hammer once more. "If there's anyone down there, DUCK!" He shouts before slamming the hammer into the floor. The marble cracks, and crumbles away, and when the dust clears, a pair of eyes shine in the light.

* * *

One by one, they pull the children from the dark hole. Catie hates to think how long they've been down there, but judging by the way they shy away from the light, it's been far too long. Eleven of the children stand before her, the next one thinner and dirtier than the last. Despite the grime, however, their frocks remain pure white. Each of them wears an identical robe with gold trim, the only difference the words embroidered on their backs: heart, lungs, kidneys, bladder, liver, stomach, spleen, blood, bone, muscle, and skin.

Brain. The final child emerges from the hole, gripping Bors' hand with all the strength she can manage.

Melinda Mendez's hair can't be longer than an inch, with bald patches scattered across her scalp. Her face, covered with white marble dust, carries a gray sheen in the light. Her lips are pale and chapped, and her cheekbones threaten to break through her skin. Her eyes, however, are the prettiest, warmest shade of brown Catie has ever seen. But there's an empty look to them she recognizes from long ago.

Catie approaches Melinda, slowly. Gently, as if gathering water in her palms, she cups Melinda's face in her hands. The girl looks up at her, and maybe there's something in Catie she recognizes as well because a bit of life returns to her eyes.

"I think it's time you went home," Catie says. "Your mother is waiting for you."

Melinda doesn't cry, but she buries her face in Catie's chest and breathes in stuttered pants.

* * *

For the most part, the children flock to Catie like ducklings, with the exception of a couple of the older ones. The three-year-old, a little boy named Malik, begs to be picked up, and she cuddles him close. Melinda grips the back of her nightgown. Octavian grabs her hand. Catie smiles down at him.

"Are you ready to show us out?" She asks. He nods and leads the way to the library, tugging her forward. The children follow closely as they step inside, Henry and Bors not too far behind.

"He went through that." Octavian points at the bookshelf.

"Let me guess: moving one of the books opens the secret door," Henry says, and Octavian nods. "You know which one?" Octavian shakes his head. "Alright then, let's get to work." Henry begins pulling books off the shelf and tosses them to the floor.

Catie and Bors follow suite. Book after book lands on the floor, some of them so dusty it's like Gaius never touched them. One book, however, catches Bors' eye; it's a simple, brown leather book. It can't be more than a hundred pages long. It looks as though it's been read often, however, as the spine is broken in several places and the pages are dog eared. None of this is what catches his attention. Many of the books are exactly like this. No, what draws him to it is the fact that the cover has a single word printed in dark, black ink: _Cinerus._

He tucks it into his shirt for later.

In the end, Henry is the one to find the book. He pulls it, and it sticks to the shelf, a small 'click' signaling its activation. The bookshelf shakes and slides into the wall adjacent. Stone steps lead up, and lanterns line the wall.

It's only when they step inside that Catie notices the bodies. In glass cases, the kind a person would use for a trophy or memento, are the preserved remains of young women. Some of them are torsos, some limbs, some of them nearly a full-body, everything intact but the head. The creatures Gaius made only used parts of the women, after all; this is where he put what he didn't use.

"Should we search for another path?" Bors asks.

"I doubt we'll find one," Henry says.

"We have no choice, then. Everyone, come here." Catie lines the children up in front of her. One by one, she rips off the sleeves of their robes and ties it around their eyes until she's sure they can't see. When she gets to Melinda, the girl stops her.

"I want to look," she whispers. Catie shakes her head.

"You don't want those images in your mind."

"Please. I need to know what he did. I need to know." Melinda grips Catie's wrist with what little strength she has. Catie doesn't think she could deny her anything.

The children hold hands, with Melinda in the lead. Malik cries until Catie picks him up again, and Octavian settles himself in the middle of the line. Bors and Henry take up the rear.

"Keep your blindfolds on and don't let go of each other. Just keep listening to my voice and everything is going to be alright." Catie takes a deep breath and starts to sing.

"Your eyes, my love, are clear and green,

Sweet as honey and warm as spring,

Their color being all I know,

To the Beyond, I'd gladly go."

Her voice echoes off the walls, the reverb filling the space. She keeps her eyes focused on the top of the stairs and away from the woman. There's a light at the end. They just have to keep going.

"Your smile, my love, is bright and true,

It rivals the Sun, and outshines the Moon

It's beauty being all I know

To the Beyond, I'd gladly go."

Her throat hurts. She never sings so loudly. Usually, her garden is her only audience. Her arms ache with the strain of holding a child and reaching back to guide Melinda. Black spots swim at the edge of her vision. It's hard to breathe. They're about halfway there.

She keeps singing.

"Your heart, my love, is brave and kind,

It's beat like music... like... music..."

She fades off and stops walking. This case is unlike the others. The woman inside is perfectly intact. Her eyes are open, and they're a shade of green she's only ever seen on two people; Evander and Mama Lina. She's so young, too. She can't be older than Ria, and her curly dark hair cascades around her shoulders.

Her face is frozen in a moment of fear. What did she witness before she died?

In her arms, Malik whines. She can hear the restless shuffles of the children behind her. She's scaring them.

She opens her mouth, trying to sing again, but no sound escapes. She can hardly breathe.

Bors rests his hand on her shoulder, and Catie breaks her gaze away from the woman. When did he make his way past the children?

Although he doesn't know the words, the melody is simple enough, and Bors begins to hum her song. He nudges her forward, gently, and breathing is no longer hard for her. Catie continues her song, Bors' bass voice accompanying her.

"Your heart, my love, is brave and kind,

It's beat like music that echoes mine,

It's love being all I know

To the Beyond I'd gladly go."

Catie doesn't let her fear and sorrow creak into her voice after that, and lightly scratches Malik's head.

"You take my hand and softly whisper

Words so sweet into my ear:

'Do not yet go to that Beyond,

For our lives here have just begun.'"

They reach the end of the stairs, and a pair of wooden doors sit at an angle above them.

"So I won't go to that Beyond,

For our lives here have just begun."

Bors kicks the doors open, and they're blinded by the flood of light. Climbing out, they end up outside on the mansion's grounds.

The sun is shining down on them.

* * *

**This is the longest chapter I've written so far. I don't know how this happened. **

**The next one will be the wrap up for this mission, so it won't be nearly as long. After this week, my work schedule will be returning to normal so the wait shouldn't be as long either! **

* * *

**I realized recently that in chapter ten when I introduced Titus, I forgot to give him proper credit! **

**Titus Kelvin was created by The Restless Drifter! **

**That credit has since been placed on the chapter, but I wanted to be sure I mentioned it here as well!**

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Malfel: Thank you! Rune Magic was not mentioned previously, though Craish's magic does incorporate runes as well. **

**SimpleStories24: ****Thank you very much! As always, I enjoyed reading your predictions! It was interesting to see what direction you thought I was going towards. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! **

**P.S. I'm almost done drawing Blue, I just have to finish coloring him. I won't be home for a couple of days, and I forgot to bring my Wacom so he still won't be posted for a little bit. I'm happy with the way he's turning out, and I hope you like it! I really liked drawing him!**

**Torsa: ****Hello! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and the way I'm portraying everyone! It was fun to read your predictions. The next chapter is the resolution to Gaius' murder, so you'll know whether or not you were right then. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**

* * *

**Thank you all once again for reading! **

**A couple of announcements: **

**1\. I made a Spotify playlist for this story. It's just called Phoenix Refuge. I don't know if it'll come up if you search it, so I'll put the link on my profile probably. I've tried putting the songs in some semblance of order, but a lot of the songs are for things that happen later so they don't have a set spot yet. It's a work in progress and songs are subject to change.**

**2\. I'm thinking of writing a companion story to this one that's a series of scenes or one-shots that don't quite fit into the main plot. I haven't decided yet. Let me know if that sounds like something you guys might be interested in.**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The next one should be up within the next two weeks.**


	15. The Pistol

_ And I, well I found what's best for me_

_And now I see no tragedy_

_And I, well I found a burning rose_

_And now I won't be packing little pistols_

_No, no, no more_

_~Little Pistol - Mother Mother~_

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen: The Pistol_

* * *

_~March 21st, x800~_

What happens next is a bit of a blur: one minute they're helping the children untie their blindfolds, the next they're surrounded on all sides by a squadron of Rune Knights. Commands are barked. Answers are demanded. Bors brandishes his sword. Henry shouts retorts and explanations that go ignored. The children press close to Catie. The ground sways beneath her feet like she's on a ship. There's an energy in the air, the kind that makes birds swarm on the cusp of a storm.

A Rune Knight stomps forward and snatches Melinda's arm. The girl screams and it sends a jolt straight down Catie's spine. Before she can think, she acts.

A blast of wind strikes the Rune Knight in the chest. It knocks the helmet off his head. He falls to the ground, wheezing for air. Melinda runs into Catie's arms, and that's essentially all she remembers.

* * *

When she comes to, she's in a room with no windows and a single door. It's empty, except for the wicker chair she's handcuffed to. She calls on her magic but is only met with the feeling of jumping into a pool of ice water.

"I'm afraid we've had to use Magic Nullifying Cuffs on you, Miss Tempête," a hoarse voice speaks behind her. "You were causing quite a ruckus."

"...That's not my name," Catie says. The cuffs clatter as she yanks on them.

"As you were never formally adopted by Ajax Cinerus, I must insist on addressing you by your legal name. Or would you prefer I call you 'Catie' like your friends?" He scoffs, and circles to stand in front of her. He's a thin man with wiry limbs. His black hair is slicked back and matches his equally black eyes. His skin is so pale, it looks like all the color has been drained from him. He wears a Rune Knight uniform, but it doesn't sit right on his body. "So unrefined. Why mutilate the name your mother gave you? She must have chosen it with such care. Do you know what the name 'Catrina' means?"

"I don't."

He bends down so their faces are level.

"It means 'pure.' What high hopes she had for you." His gaze flickers down, and he sneers. "What would she think if she could see you now?"

Catie feels her ears grow warm, but refuses to let the blush spread to her face. She's in her nightgown still, and she knows it's tattered and torn. It can't be leaving much to the imagination. She keeps her chin raised high and her shoulders straight.

"What do you hope to accomplish by antagonizing me? Who are you anyway?" She asks.

The man twists his lips into a mockery of a smile.

"No one important. I was simply asked to ensure you were properly secured." He takes a fistful of Catie's hair and yanks. She yelps as her eyes tear up. The man releases her and stares at the few strands he ripped from her head. He throws them back in her face like garbage. "Based on your lack of retaliation, I'd say my job is done. Have a pleasant evening Miss Tempête." He opens the door and offers her a small wave. "Someone will be in to interview you shortly. I advise you to be honest with your answers. They won't be as nice as I was."

The door closes with a quiet click. Catie stares at it, her breathing growing heavier and heavier the more her anger builds. She yanks on the cuffs and the metal bites into her skin.

Before long, the door reopens. Two Rune Knights enter, and she recognizes the one she knocked the wind out of. He looks at her like a bug he'd like nothing more than to squash.

* * *

Sweat drips off the tip of Bors' nose and splatters on the concrete floor as he goes through the repetitive motions of a push-up. It's been about two hours since they were detained by the Rune Knights and brought to the inn.

After Catie knocked down the Rune Knight, they lost any chance of settling the matter peacefully. The other Knights seemed to take it as a personal insult and charged, screaming. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a fair fight. But the three of them were exhausted, and they needed to protect the children. One of the Rune Knights smashed their staff against Catie's head and with her injury, it was enough to knock her unconscious. The battle was over then.

His sword was confiscated, and the last he saw of Catie, the Rune Knights dragged her limp body up the stairs. He and Henry were corralled into this empty room, and a man had been waiting for them. He smiled.

"Mr. Garneau, Mr. Gaheris. Thank you for joining me. My team appreciates your cooperation."

"Who the hell are you?" Henry had asked.

"Where's Catrina?" Bors demanded.

"No one important, I assure you. As for your friend," he held up his hands and an image of Catie shimmered to life. She was handcuffed to a chair, and her head dangled forward in a way that must've been painful. "As you can see, she's fine. We just have a few questions for her. This whole process would have gone much smoother if she didn't have the audacity to attack a Rune Knight."

He clapped his hands, and the image vanished.

"Now, someone will come to collect your statements eventually, and I trust you'll stay put till then." He walked past them like he had all the time in the world, and slowly opened the door.

"And if we don't?" Henry asked.

"I'm afraid Miss Cinerus will end up bearing the punishment for your misconduct."

They've been alone since then. They're both unrestrained. A myriad of spells keeps the door secure, but it seems lax to Bors.

Henry paces along the far wall like a beast in a cage too small to contain it. He's grumbling to himself and eventually goes up to the door to fiddle with the doorknob. It stings his hand a little, but the pain isn't bad enough to actually keep him from turning it. It's not even locked.

"Those bastards are messing with us," he says, releasing it. His mechanical hand flexes open and shut involuntarily. "Do they really expect us to just wait around like good little boys until they decide we're worth their time?"

"We must be patient." Finishing his rep, Bor moves into a side plank. He focuses on his breathing and lets his mind clear. "When someone comes, we will ambush them. They will take us to Catrina, and we will deal with everyone after."

"Dammit." Henry stomps away from the door and returns to his pacing. He recognizes the logic of Bors' plan; they don't know where Catie is and taking the time to charge through the place looking for her would only put her at risk.

Silence fills the room, only interrupted by Henry's mumblings and the sound of Bors' heavy breathing as he exercises every part of his body. Another hour passes, and finally, the men hear footsteps approaching the door. Henry Makes a hammer. Bors inscribes the rune for "Steel" onto his body to strengthen himself. In silence, they position themselves.

The spells on the door are dissipated. The knob wiggles a little before being fully turned. The door slowly swings open, and Henry and Bors charge at the person in the doorway.

Wren shrieks in surprise as the two men barely manage to keep from hitting her. She falls back into Titus, holding a hand to her heart.

"I can not believe you two just tried to murder me!" She yells. "I thought we were friends! Titus! We should leave them here until they learn Friends Don't Murder Friends!"

"Please calm yourself, Wren." Titus helps her right herself. "We don't have the time."

Wren huffs and smoothes the wrinkles from her uniform. "You guys are just lucky we're in a hurry." She stomps away, not bothering to check if they follow behind her.

"You'll have to forgive her," Titus says. "We were helping to clean up the mess at the manor. It put her in a foul mood."

* * *

Wren and Titus lead Bors and Henry up two flights of stairs past several Rune Knights in full uniform and brandished weapons. It's obvious they don't want to let their group past, but they have no choice; Titus and Wren outrank them all. On the top floor, at the very end of the hall, is the room containing Catie. A silencing spell has been placed on the door, but there are no other security measures.

The door slams against the wall as Wren kicks it open. The two men in the room jump back from Catie, who is doubled over in her chair and coughing.

"Sorry to interrupt," Wren says, "but Captain Achilles has requested Miss Cinerus' presence."

The two men glare at their group.

"We're not finished with our interrogation." One of them says, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm afraid you are." Titus steps close to him, and adjusts the man's uniform with a smile that's a little too shard and wide. "If you have any complaints, be sure to take them up with Admiral Jones." He roughly pats the man's cheek, then pushes him aside. With quick hands, he uncuffs Catie from the chair. "Come along now, Miss Cinerus."

Using Titus' hand for support, Catie lethargically rises to her feet. She's visibly shaking, and when she lifts her head, a fist-shaped bruise can be seen blooming on her jaw. At the sight, Bors makes to charge the two men, but an invisible force keeps him from entering the room.

"Sorry, but unfortunately I can't let you murder them," Wren says. Her hands are glowing a light purple, and it's obvious she's responsible for the invisible wall. "Don't worry though. They'll get what's coming to them."

Bors' brows narrow and his lips grow thin as he clenches his fist. His glare is piercing as he stares down the men.

Meanwhile, Titus drapes his uniform coat over Catie's shoulders. He lifts her wrist to remove the Magic Nullifying Cuffs, but she yanks them back.

"Leave them, please," she says.

"Are you sure?" Titus asks.

"I don't know what I'll do to them if I have access to my magic."

Catie lifts her chin to meet his gaze, and Titus is shocked to see the burning fury in her eyes. What he and the others had mistaken for distress and fear was actually barely contained rage.

"Very well," he says and escorts Catie from the room.

Wren reinforces her spell on the door to ensure the men can't leave, then turns to Catie with a small smile.

"Would you like to take a shower before meeting with the captain?" She asks. Catie simply nods.

* * *

With damp hair and a borrowed change of clothes, Catie joins Henry and Bors in Captain Achilles quarters. The two men have also taken the opportunity to clean up, she notes, taking a seat between them. Wren and Titus stand guard at the door. The Magic Nullifying Cuffs buzz against Catie's skin.

"Thank you for coming," Achilles says once they're all settled. He rubs the back of his head and clears his throat. "First things first, I'd like to offer my most sincere apologies. I wasn't aware of what Gaius was doing, and I never would have gotten you involved, had I known." Achilles sighs. "You see, we three are part of a special task force known as the Veritas Division. Our duty is to uncover corruption amongst the Rune Knights, and for some time I had been aware that Julius Gaius was at the center of a great deal of that corruption. I suspect that all the Knights here, besides those of us in this room, were under his payroll."

"When you had us meet with those two earlier," Henry starts, pointing to Wren and Titus. "That wasn't so the town's people didn't know we were working with you then? It was so the other Rune Knights wouldn't know."

Captain Achilles nods.

"It is true that the people weren't cooperating, but Titus and Wren have excellent people skills. They would have been able to gain a semblance of trust from them. However, the other Rune Knights never would have let them infiltrate the Gaius Mansion on their own, and would have destroyed the evidence you three were able to unearth. The truth would have been lost, and justice would remain unserved."

"What happens now?" Catie asks.

"There will be an investigation into the negligence of the Rune Knights stationed here, and exactly how great a role they played in… Well, everything, I suppose. Gaius' misdeeds and misuse of magic fall under our jurisdiction, you see, and he was allowed to do great misdeeds."

"Will you still investigate his murder?" Bors asks.

"Yes. I suspect a few Rune Knights were responsible. Currently, members of my team have sequestered the mansion, so you'll need to wait at the pub for Titus and Wren to fetch your things. You'll be paid in full, of course, but afterward, you're free to head home. There isn't much else you can do."

And just like that, their mission is finished.

* * *

The first thing Henry does upon entering the pub is sit at the bar. Mr. Clark serves him a drink without a word, and he throws it back as fast as he can. Bors goes to join him, but Catie hangs back at the entrance. The whole town is here again, and it seems they've all been informed of what happened. There's a tranquility in the room that wasn't there yesterday. Several people buy Henry and Bors drinks and food.

The children they saved are in the center, surrounded by their family and friends and neighbors, as if they lose sight of any one of them, the children will once more vanish.

Melinda Mendez looks up from the table she sits at with her mother, and their eyes lock. Catie isn't sure what she's expecting to see -relief, anger, despair- but Melinda's eyes are empty and resigned. It's unlikely she'll ever fully recover from this.

Catie has to look away.

She leaves the pub and just wanders around for a while. Her kind feels a mess. Somehow finds herself standing at the edge of the woods. She stares up at Gaius' mansion. The sun is already beginning to set, and the whole building is bathed in an orange glow. It's almost beautiful. It makes her sick.

Her wrists sting as her throat burns with the desire to yell. She crouches, wrapping her arms around her legs, and breathes. All she has to do is push everything down - her thoughts, her anger, her fear- and she'll be fine.

She doesn't know how long she sits there, alone, but eventually, she hears footsteps approach from behind. She looks up as Bors takes a seat beside her.

Catie opens her mouth in an attempt to say... anything, but nothing comes out.

Bors places a steady hand on her shoulder, and Catie relaxes. Together, they sit until the sun disappears and the manor disappears into the dark of night. They walk to the pub in silence, where Wren and Titus have gathered all of their things. Henry searches through his bag until he pulls out a handful of lollipops. One goes straight in his mouth, the others, he stuffs in his pocket.

Titus removes the cuffs from Catie's wrists. The skin is red and raw, and she winces.

"Here," Wren says. She wraps her fingers around Catie's wrists, and a cooling band seems to wrap around them. "That'll protect you until you can see an actual healer."

"Thank you," Catie says.

"You three should be taking off now," Titus advises. "The last train will be here soon."

* * *

The train whistle blows as Henry, Bors, and Catie start to board. By this time tomorrow, they should be back home.

"Miss Cinerus!" Claudia Gaius runs onto the platform. She holds Octavian in her arms. A string of worn prayer beads is wrapped tightly around her fingers.

"You guys go ahead," Catie says, hopping back down. "I'll catch up."

"You better make it quick. The train leaves in ten minutes."

"I know, Henry."

"Be careful, Catrina," Bors says.

Catie smiles at him, and it even feels almost genuine. "I will be."

She walks to meet the older woman. Despite Claudia's sprint, Octavian is sound asleep, curled into her chest.

"I just wanted to thank you," she says. "For saving my son. You've no idea the depth of my gratitude."

"There's no need to thank me. I didn't do much." Catie sighs. "I just wish we could have done something more."

Claudia takes one of Catie's hands in her own, the one with the beads wrapped around it. They buzz against Catie's skin.

"What more could you have done? Traveled back and time to stop all of this from happening in the first place? Please. The burden of guilt does not lie with you. Don't take on the weight."

Catie doesn't know what to say to that. Claudia squeezes her hand. The beads sting a little in a way she finds very familiar.

"Are these Magic Nullifying?" Catie asks. Claudia smiles.

"Only in the moonlight. They're a relic of my hometown and a wedding gift from my grandmother. She couldn't stop crying when I moved away," she says, weaving the beads around Catie's fingers. "...When I was a little girl, my father often took me duck hunting with him. He taught me everything he knew, and I became so good that I made nine out of my ten shots."

"That's nice?" Catie says, confused. Claudia squeezes her hand tighter and starts to tremble. The beads burn a little.

"When I married Julius, though, he put an end to my hunting. He was afraid of guns, you see. He was afraid of many things, actually: snakes, spiders, disease... What he feared the most, however, was death. He feared it so much, that he was determined to find a way to live forever. He was obsessed, reading all he could about immortality. Every year, as he grew older and slowly started to see his body age, he grew more and more desperate."

"I lived with the screams in the basement. I ignored the blood on his clothes and endured the stench leaking from his pores. I told myself our maids and nannies simply grew tired of our small town and chose to go home without warning. And when the children began to go missing, I refused to acknowledge even the possibility that he was involved. Still, I made sure Octavian stayed in his playroom, and whenever a new nanny came, I made myself ignore everything the last one left behind. But the night Octavian and Lydia disappeared, I knew I could no longer remain willfully ignorant."

"My husband was a monster, and I was a monster for letting him get away with it for so long." Claudia sobs and cuddles Octavian close.

"So I went into town, and I told them all the truth. But it wasn't enough. No one would help us. Some of the men wanted to storm the manor, but Julius' Shields never would have let them in. We were stuck under the thumb of a monster, and there was nothing we could do. Then, a miracle happened. Julius came into town, willingly, by himself, and called everyone for a meeting. He spoke of new world order, and the coming of a man he only referred to as his master. He said by morning, he would be a being death couldn't touch. It was our last chance. So when he went outside, we followed. I don't remember grabbing the gun off the wall, but it was in my hands when I left the pub."

"...Claudia," Catie whispers even though no one else is on the platform with them. "What happened?"

The widow shakes her head.

"I don't know for sure. Somehow, my beads wound up in Julius' fist. Maybe he snatched them from me. Maybe I threw them at him. After that, well… There were several gunshots that night... It was very dark... And it's hunting season, you see."

She stops talking and waits for Catie's response, but the young woman can't think of anything to say. They stare at each other until the train whistle blows and Octavian stirs.

"It's time for me to go," Catie says, pulling away. Whatever trance fell upon them is broken.

Tears in her eyes, Claudia cradles her son close and nods.

Just as she steps back on the train, Catie lets out a deep breath. For the first time, she notices the pistol holstered on Claudia's hip.

"You really shouldn't be out at night by yourself during hunting season," she says. "Accidents are bound to happen."

Claudia sniffles.

"I'm glad you understand."

"Stay safe, Claudia."

"You as well, Miss Cinerus. I wish you nothing but the best."

The doors slide close, and Catie turns to watch Claudia and Octavian become tiny dots in the distance. In her hand, Claudia's beads have twisted around her fingers. They burn.

Catie tucks them away into her pocket and goes to find Henry and Bors. She doesn't reveal what Claudia told her, but she thinks about it all the way back to Barberry.

* * *

Overlooking the town and the manor from a nearby hill, a man stares at the train as it pulls away. Clenched in his fists, the strands of Catie's blond hair wave in the wind. They almost glow in the moonlight.

"I see you were successful in getting the sample," a woman says as she joins him. She's tall, with short grey hair and grey eyes that stand in stark contrast against her dark skin. In her hand is a dark, red rose. The thorns pierce into her skin, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"Of course I was. I had to make sure our time here wasn't wasted." The man sneers. "I knew Gaius was a weak-minded fool. He really believed he was invincible, didn't he?"

"That's to be expected, Viper. He thought he could make a Phoenix, after all. He should have just quit after that first botched attempt. He was entertaining, at least. His garden was lovely." The woman sighs and takes a small sniff of the rose. Below them, a loud boom like the crack of thunder sounds from the manor. Flames and smoke rise into the night, and they watch as the remains of the building burn.

"I'm glad to see you were also successful, Adder," the man says.

"Naturally." She bows at the waist. "Should we go meet Bandy and Racer, now?"

"I suppose so. Our purpose here is finished after all." Viper waves his hand and a black abyss opens in the ground. "After you."

Adder takes one more deep breath of the rose, then tosses it behind her as she jumps into the blackness. Viper dives in after, and the ground sews itself back together as if they were never there in the first place.

* * *

**Thank you all once again for reading! I apologize for the very late upload. I've been very tired lately. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I will finish it as soon as I can. If I don't do it tonight, I will be responding to PMs within the next couple of days. Till next time.**


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